When it rains, it pours
by whisperkey
Summary: Complete. Series of one shots chronicling the relationship between River and Jayne. Rayne/Pre-Rayne
1. Chapter 1

"Ha" River yelled as she got Jayne in the gut with a punch.

"Yer gonna regret tha'" Jayne yelled as he reached out an arm and managed to snag River's arm as she danced away. He pulled her towards him, managing to twist her wrist before she tripped him with a long sweep of her right leg. He had to let go of her wrist and from there, he bent low, aiming to tackle her but she danced out of his way.

After a few moments, a crowd started to gather, watching the fighting. There were no hits that were particularly bruising. In fact, even when they actually hit each other, it seemed as if they were glancing blows even when they were direct hits.

"Oh come on, ya got better 'n that!" Jayne shouted, grinning at River as she twirled around him aiming for his head with her fist and Jayne knocked it out of the way.

"Your calculations are facetious!" River said in response. At Jayne's blank look she continued, "I'm giving you the best I have without actually hurting you."

Mal walked down the ramp into the dust storm that surrounded River and Jayne. Seeing the crowd gathered around them, he grinned. They'd been doing this a lot at the various places they had landed on the ground.

"Alright!" he called, clapping his hands and strutting around the ring that people had formed around River and Jayne. "Odds on the fight here. Four to one the big man wins!" he shouted. There was a rustling.

"Yeah I'll take that," a burly man said, slapping a fiver in to Mal's waiting hand. There were murmurings and money changing hands for the next few moments as River and Jayne flew around each other in a circle, insulting each other the entire time.

Mal took a brief moment from watching Jayne and River and noticed that an older rather fancily dressed couple that he had noticed studying his ship, as if trying to figure out exactly what type of ship it was, well, they were approaching the scene a little on the warily side. Deciding it didn't matter he hailed them. "Y'all wanna bet on the odds here?"

"Moonbrain! You pissin' words and not action. When'm I gonna see that dancin' fightin 'o yours?" Jayne taunted. "P'rhaps it's gone? You done lost your talent?"

"The differential to your equation does not match up. Perhaps it is you, man with a girl's name, whose actions are not equal to the speech?" River said with a graceful arch of an eyebrow. She followed this with an elbow into his gut as he tried to encircle her from behind. She ducked out and tried to get him with her leg, which he knocked down with his hand.

The couple seemed to try to glance around him, getting a glimpse of the two fighting. "Oh my god, Gabriel, Gabriel!" the woman cried. "That's River!" her hand came to cover her mouth. Suddenly, the older man made a move forward.

Mal stepped in front of him. "I'm afraid I can't let you break this up," He said, hiding his confusion. "After all, people have money on how this is going to end," He smiled genially.

"Now, you let me through!" the man shouted. The crowd around them had suddenly shifted their attention to them.

It was then that all of a sudden, River went still, her face slack. Unfortunately, Jayne had not anticipated that and found his fist nearly hitting River in the nose before he managed to deflect to glance off her cheekbone. "River?" he asked in a rather small voice for what Jayne could say. "River..don't make" he was cut off by a finger at his lips, River looking at him intensely.

"Circles go around, hands of blue fade away, something old comes to play," she said quietly. Jayne frowned, trying to work out what exactly she had meant by that. In these days, most of what she said was easily understandable and the majority of the time they weren't, he was able to somewhat translate what she meant based on their situation.

At that moment, though he heard mal shouting at someone to stay back for their safety. River turned her head away from him, hand dropping from his lips, which had held most of his concentration. "Heh?" he asked, mouth curling in confusion. He followed River as she drifted closer to Mal. "Wha's goin' on?" he asked. Mal jumped.

"Oh, I didn't hear you two. Aren't you supposed to be losin some kind of fight there Jayne?" Mal asked looking him up and down.

"I was givin' it my best. Not my fault the moonbrain's alliance trained," Jayne said, offended and drawing back from Mal. "Think I almost got her this time," he added.

"River!" the man Mal had been shouting at finally said, interrupting the two. "River why were you being hit by that man ape brute?"

"Who're you callin' a brute. I ain't no brute," Jayne said taking a step towards him.

"Jayne's right. No brute," River said quietly, playing with her hands. "Wondering why this is here, why you're here?" she said as if it weren't her asking the question.

"River-" the elegant woman said. Jayne rolled his eyes.

"C'mon Moonbrain. Let's get away from these idiots. We'll go fer a drink," he grabbed River's elbow, but she shook out of it.

"I want to know why you were hurting River!" the man said, looking up at Jayne defiantly. Something about his expression reminded him of something but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"T'weren't no hurtin' of moonbrain here, she started it," Jayne growled. "Probly finish it too if you're that concerned about it," he smiled down at River. At this, there were shouts from the crowd. The people who had given up money started to demand it back.

"She's a little girl, you're a a a gorilla compared to her!" the man protested. "She can't possibly beat you."

"Experience says otherwise," Jayne scowled. "Two times out of three she beats me in these tussles and in anythin' important she's beaten me senseless," he glowered at the man, not liking to be reminded of it.

"Fire in the horizon," River muttered, playing with her necklace.

"I'm tryin' to put it out, darlin, you just ain't patient," Jayne said quietly down to her.

"What right do you have to call my daughter darlin'?" The man suddenly roared.

"Your what?" Jayne roared right back, both embarassed and infuriated. At that moment, the woman broke down.

"River, darling, come home! We miss you!" She hurried towards river who shrank back against Jayne.

"Butterflies come down to earth sometimes, Jayne," She said looking rather panicked.

"Look I don't care if she's your siamese twin, mister," Jayne snapped, reigning his temper in as much as possible. "But River needs her medication, so's I expect this conversation is over," he picked up River, cradling her to his chest and ran inside the ship.

Gabriel, the man was called made to follow Jayne shouting incoherently after him.

"Afraid I can't let you do that, Mr…" Mal said with a slight, sarcastic smile and his arms crossed over his chest. "Seein' as how that there's my ship and those are my crew you just upset. I'm not feelin' particularly inclined towards allowin' you to board said ship," he smiled politely. "Now, is there a reason you might be able ta convince me?" he asked.

"My name is Gabriel Tam and this is my wife Regan Tam," the man said drawing himself up straight. "We have been attempting to locate our children for the last month and someone told us that they had spotted my daughter boarding a ship like yours headed here for this planet and this dock."

"Ah, I see. And what could you want with River?" Mal asked, feigning ignorance.

"She's our daughter and Simon Tam is our son!" Regan Tam finally spoke up. "We'd just like to take them home, if you please," she said, nearly begging.

"Well, I'm very sorry, but River Tam is an essential part of our crew as well as Simon and I can't very well just surrender them to you, now can I?" Mal asked with a smile.

"Problem here, sir?" the cool collected voice brought everyone's attention to just behind Mal to his right.

"Ah! Zoe, I would like you to meet Gabriel and Regan Tam, they claim to be River and Simon's parents," Mal said with a grin.

"Do they, sir?" Zoe asked with an arch of an eyebrow. "What do they want?"

"We want our son and daughter back! On our home planet and we want Simon to be working as a doctor again," Regan Tam said.

"Oh, I assure you, Simon is working as a doctor here," Mal said. "Plenty of trouble seems to find it's way here. Zoe? Can you do something about that?" Mal asked, scratching behind his ear.

"Do something about the trouble sir? I'll do my best," Zoe said with an implacable tone. "Do you want me to go find Simon?" She asked.

"Why don't you," Mal said. "We'll be waiting here." He turned as Zoe was jogging back on to the ship. "And Zoe?" She half turned, looking at him questioningly. "Don't warn him," he said. She nodded and disappeared into the hold.

"If I hear that you have mistreated River in any way, whatsoever, I swear to God on earth that was-" Gabriel Tam shook his finger in Mal's face.

"First of all, I doubt you'd be able to do anything. Secondly, well, I wasn't the one to turn her into what she was. That would be the alliance. In the school you sent her to, so technically, I should probably be doing whatever it is you're threatening, to you," Mal said this with his trademark smile in place, rocking back on his heels.

"I-I-How _dare _you!" Regan Tam said as her husband stood speechless. "We gave River the best education money could buy until she decided of her own volition to go to such a prestigious school. It's not our fault that Simon broke her out and she became a fugitive!" Regan snapped.

"A prestigious school? Oh really?" At that point, he heard the clattering of footsteps. Cutting off the movements of these two core-bred-well he'd probably be better off not finishing that thought, he turned and headed up the ramp.

"Simon!" he shouted. "I hope your sister's alright?" he asked. At Simon's uncertain nod, he continued. "Well, I think you might be best suited to dealing with this situation here." He turned and nodded towards Simon's parents.

Simon leaned around Mal and his eyes widened dramatically. He took several steps forward. "Mother? Father?" he said, as if he could not believe his eyes.

"Simon Tam! What in the world were you thinking?" his mother asked shrilly.

"I was thinking of saving my sister!" he defended, body posture suddenly far more rigid and formal than it had been just moments ago.

"From what? School?" his father Gabriel asked.

"I-didn't you just see River?" Simon asked flabbergasted. "Of course from her 'school'" at which point he used the visual quotation marks. "They were torturing her!" Simon said, frowning. He didn't understand why his parents were here and were accusing him still as if he hadn't done the right thing.

"Well we might have been able to talk to her but she was talking in riddles like she did when she was really little and then that man ape who was attacking her took her back on to the ship! We don't know what to think!" Gabriel Tam said, gesturing towards the firefly ship behind them.

"The man-ape?" Simon snorted as he remembered the times he had called Jayne that as well. "That was Jayne and River probably started the fight," he shrugged. "Besides, Jayne likes River far too much to ever let her get hurt" He said.

"He didn't seem to like her much when he was punching her in the nose," Regan Tam said.

"They pull their punches if they actually make contact, but it's mostly just sparring for them, keeping their training up," Simon shrugged, nonchalantly. As much as he did not particularly like that River and Jayne seemed attached at the hip, he found himself defending them easily.

"Simon?" he turned to find Kaylee standing on the ramp down to the dirt. "Simon, what's going on?" She was wearing her cover alls with the top draped around her hips and one of his favorite shirts of hers. She was all confusion in her expression and her stance.

"Kaylee," Simon hurried up the ramp, kissed her cheek and took her elbow, leading her down. She smiled up at him and patted his hand with her right hand.

"Kaylee, I would like you to meet my parents, Gabriel and Regan Tam. Mother, Father, I would like you to meet my fiancee Kaywinnit Lee Frye," he smiled uncertainly.

"Hi Mr and Mrs Tam," Kaylee said with a small wave. Her smile was hesitant and nervous. Simon ran his hand down her arm, catching her hand and squeezing it. She squeezed back.

"Simon-" Regan Tam said before she was cut off.

"Congratulations son," Gabriel said with a smile. "And it is a pleasure to meet you, Kaywinnit."

"Do you want to come on the ship for some coffee or something?" Kaylee asked. "It's instant, but I think it's pretty good," she said with a shrug.

"I-That would be lovely," Regan Tam said as gracious as she had ever sounded with someone who she clearly deemed as lower class than she. Simon held onto Kaylee's hand, clutching it as if it were his life line. Kaylee squeezed his hand reassuringly as they walked onto the ship with probably the last two people he would have ever expected to willingly come aboard the ship. He ignored the way his father snorted at the perceived dirt around the hold and the general untidiness. His mother simply pressed her mouth shut so that it formed a white line. He knew this because he knew his parents and what they liked. So he knew from the way that his mother, Regan, was practically gasping, breathing in short little spurts and the way his father's footsteps fell that they were _not_ _happy._ He ignored this, tightening his grip on Kaylee's hand. Kaylee glanced up at him, a slight frown, well, he couldn't say marring because even with a frown, she was beautiful.

They entered the kitchen area and Kaylee shook her hand free of Simon's absentmindedly rubbing it. Simon winced slightly. He knew she worked with her hands just as he did and could not afford to injure them. He turned to his parents. "Mother, Father, why don't we sit down?" he asked politely. He wondered where Jayne and River were holed up. When Jayne had come barreling into the sick bay, clutching River to his chest, he hadn't bothered to explain what had happened and why River had gone rather quieter than she had been recently.

River had just asked for her medication. This was a new thing in place with the two of them. Because River's progress towards sanity had jumped so much after Miranda, Simon had decided that the smoothers he used to give her every evening could be suspended and only given when she needed them. Back then, it had been fairly often, but now it was only once in a while.

"Simon, dear, why are you working on this-this death trap?" his mother, Regan, asked.

"Serenity's not a death trap!" Kaylee said in an injured voice, whirling from the cups on the counter. "She's tha mos' beautiful girl in the sky. Can't do better n'her when you want ta fly," Kaylee pouted as she advanced towards Simon's parents.

"Kaylee, honey, my mother didn't mean it, alright? Serenity's beautiful and we all know it," Simon soothed.

"I don't think your parents do," she said, sounding hurt and turning back towards the coffee.

"I'm sorry-Serenity is something of a.." Simon trailed off trying to think of words to describe how Kaylee thought of serenity. "A second love for Kaylee. She's our mechanic," He said, shrugging. "And a brilliant mechanic at that."

His parents looked at him incredulously, before turning to look at Kaylee. "Dear, you're a mechanic?" his mother asked, disbelief sounding in her voice.

"Yeah, m'dad ran a fixing shop out on Trinidad. I fixed Mal's ship when I was-" Kaylee blushed, probably only because she was with people 'of class' Simon realized. "Well, I was visiting the mechanic an' I got the ship runnin' again. Got the job. T'weren't a hard fix neither. Don't know why he couldn'tve just fixed it," Kaylee shrugged as if she had no clue how special her talents were.

Her mom sat back, flabbergasted. "Mother, out here, on the more border-like planets, women work for a living and they do it well, too," Simon took the moment to explain. And it wasn't as if women couldn't work on the core planets. It's just that, in his and mother's-his _old circle_ and his parent's circle, he corrected himself, women didn't work. Unless it was to raise money for some cause or another.

Just then, there was a pounding from the stairs coming up from the passenger lounge area. Footsteps rang, clanking on the metal and River appeared in the doorway. She smiled at her parents. "Mother, Father, Even though your presence is an erratum of elephantine apportionment, and the differential to the equation does not quite match up, your presence is not refused," River said. Jayne suddenly joined her in the doorway, glaring down at her while she smiled beatifically up at him.

"Moonbrain, I told you, no runnin' off on me when I'm doin my sets," he lectured, ignoring the other four people there. "You don' want me to die, now do ya?" He asked, glaring.

"Your calculations are imprecise," River said with a smile.

"I know you think I'm invincible, and I'd like to be, but I think you need to remember I'm not as young as I once was. I'm not immortal, girly" Jayne said, growling and nearly smiling.

"Girly knows you're not immortal," River said quietly, looking down. "Wishing I were not reminded quite so often," She said, looking back up at him. "Not being shot, maybe next time, you let me do the shooting of the bad guys?" she asked hopefully at which point, Jayne burst into rough guffaws.

"River!" her father shouted, getting over his stunned reaction. "You can't go around shooting people."

"Why not?" She asked innocently, turning towards her father and batting her eyes.

"Because-because you're a girl!" her father sputtered. Simon leaned back.

"Now, just cuz she ain't a boy don't mean we have ta keep her from shootin' someone," Jayne said, looking rather murderous. "She don't need guns for that, anyhow," he added after a moment. "Got plenty 'o skills in those hands o' hers."

Her father gaped like a fish. "River, you can't go around shooting people. It's not right, it just isn't done," her mother tried.

River smiled serenely. Simon felt perhaps it was time to step in. "River saved the entire crew from Reavers a few years ago," he said gently. He didn't elaborate as he wasn't sure how his parents would react.

"Reavers!" his mother cried, covering her mouth.

"Well, I sees y'all least know what they are," Jayne said from his position standing behind River. Regan Tam just wrinkled her nose at him.

"Would you step away from my daughter or so help me, I'll kill you!" Gabriel Tam said, taking a step forward.

"I'd kin'ly thank ya to stop threatenin' on me. Moonbrain here don't take to it well," Jayne growled.

"Super cell thunderstorms have the ability to create tornadoes," River said, eyes gazing into the distance.

"Means shut your gobs or there'll be pain aboundin'" Jayne said with a grin. "An' seein as how I don't know you two folk, I'm 'bout ready ta 'low it." Jayne stepped to the side of River and slung his arm around her shoulders. "Now, here's how I see it. River here sent a message home askin' ta be sprung from her prison. You two refused an' so Simon here threw his life away and saved her. The two of you proceeded to ignore their existence until the warrant on their heads lifted. Don't seem right that you come in and demand that they come with you an' that we're not their family." Jayne said with a grin.

Simon looked to Jayne. "Why Jayne, I do believe"

"Shut it, ya pansy. Jus' cuz your my girl's brother don't mean I like ya. Jus means you're family," Jayne growled without even looking at Simon.

"Welll, isn't this just a wonderful family reunion," Mal strode into the kitchen followed by Inara.

Gabriel and Regan Tam turned to Inara. Mal smiled. "Mr and Mrs Tam, this is Inara Serra, she is our ship's companion."

Inara sashayed forward. "I'm sure it is a pleasure to meet the both of you, she said quietly. "Simon's told me so many stories about his childhood," She half smiled.

"I-I am pleased to make your acquaintance," Gabriel Tam said.

"Is there a problem?" Inara said quietly.

"No problem, I just did not expect to see a companion on board this-" he caught the glares of both Kaylee and the captain and shut his mouth quickly.

"Many are surprised, but I chose this ship specifically," Inara said with a serene smile. "I like it," She said simply.

"And you put up with this-this rim-bred scum in a relationship with my core bred daughter?" Regan Tam asked bitterly.

"Jayne and River are far more similar than they are different. They choose to be together and are happy for it," Inara said quietly. "If you feel differently, it would be best to keep your opinion to yourself, as Simon can well tell you," Inara sat primly, sipping on her tea. Even now, Jayne found himself marvelling, she was capable of appearing loftier than all of those around her.

"Roses and thorns go together and those who try to separate them will get pricked," River said, looking directly at her mother. Jayne snorted, and pulled River closer in to his side.

"She means you'll get hurt if you try an' break us apart. An' it won't be me what does the hurtin'" Jayne leered at River's mother who recoiled in disgust.

Simon shook his head. "River near broke my ear drums and my arm when I tried to" he raised his hands and did little quotation marks at this, "talk sense into her." Simon paused, studying the two. "I will admit, she becomes easier to understand when she's with him and she actually seems happy," He said with a shrug.

Jayne's brow rose in slight disbelief. "I do believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said 'bout me there, Doc," He growled. Simon grimaced and shrugged.

"Well, as much as I do appreciate family reunions, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave. You're upsetting my pilot and I need her now as we have a very important job ta do," Mal said, looking at Gabriel and Regan Tam.

Both of them opened their mouths to protest. Simon stepped in. "Mother, Father, I will wave you soon, I promise to make sure River is there," he said with a flinty eyed glance towards River who appeared to not being paying attention. "It was very nice to see you. I'll walk you out to docks," Simon said, by sheer force of will making the two of them stand and walk out of the room with longing glances sent in River's direction.

"I still don't understand why River is acting like that," Regan Tam said.

"I'll tell you about that on a wave," Simon said gently, maneuvering her out of earshot of the rest of them. Jayne sighed, settling down and River immediately returned closer to earth.

"Withstanding firestorms is more difficult than that. I thank you for not blowing up," River said, running her hand over Jayne's chest before disappearing to start up Serenity to fly it.


	2. In the House of Gods

a/n: So, When it Rains it Pours was originally meant to be a one shot, but some of you thought it should be continued and I do like to please. This is another one shot, set several months after When It Rains it Pours.

Jayne shifted uncomfortably in his seat. River had just announced-not asked-that they would be heading for Osiris, where her family's manor was kept. He wasn't opposed to it-in fact River had been hinting at this for the last couple of nights. But Mal's reaction

"Now, you wait here just a sec, lil' albatross," Mal said, standing from his seat, where he had frozen when River had so casually made her announcement. "This is my ship, and I will say where it goes," he said this with a firm voice, crossing his arms across his chest. Jayne had had some inkling that this was coming and he hadn't wanted ta get in the middle-it was Mal's ship and he didn't want to risk getting spaced. Not that he and Mal were on bad terms at the moment, but you never could tell with the captain.

"And I'm your pilot, captain daddy," River said with a coy smile walking over to Mal. Jayne leaned back, glancing at both Inara and Kaylee who were nervously watching the interchange.

"And as pilot, you'll go where I gorram tell you to go," Mal growled.

"Please, Captain Daddy?" River said, pouting. "Father and Mother wouldn't be as streaky and there would be fewer waves." She glanced sideways at Simon who was sitting rather rigidly, gripping Kaylee's hand. "It is necessitous that Kaylee views her procurement prior the happy event," River said, glancing slyly at Kaylee who managed to blush and look confused all at once.

"Now, you'll have to say that again, 'cause I'm not quite sure I understand what you just said," Mal said shifting uneasily in his seat.

"Kaylee should meet our family properly," Simon said tightly. "It's a core tradition, one that my parents would prefer to be honored."

Kaylee's brow was furrowed. "Meet your family properly? But I met them on the ship!" Kaylee said.

"Yes, but my parents will want a formal dinner with a few select family friends. I suppose they would want to 'properly' meet Jayne as well," Simon said, frowning. "For you, Kaylee, they would want to meet your parents as well, since we are engaged. I think the Captain would be an acceptable stand in, however," Simon explained. "This is a long standing tradition, for the two families to have a formal dinner together."

River had moved back to sit with Jayne who had stiffened at the mention of the words formal dinner and himself within a few moments of each other. "I don't want no formal dinner," Jayne said gruffly. River patted his hand.

"Cementing of Kaylee and Simon's relationship requires at least a meeting with the progenitors. Won't happen without you, though," River said smiling up into Jayne's eyes.

Jayne harrumphed, slumping slightly and pulling River into him. She slid easily under his arm, snuggling into his side. "I'm fine with it," he growled. "Meetin the parents sounds like a fine way to spend a day." He cocked a brow at Kaylee who smiled tremulously.

"I suppose I could properly meet your parents. But what should I wear? I have nothing so shiny for a formal dinner with your parents," Kaylee said in a small voice.

"We'll find something, I'm sure. And my parents will have to accept you the way you are. I love you and I wouldn't want you to change to fit their vision for anything in the world," Simon said with a smile.

"Do not worry, I shall distract the progenitors from criticizing your wardrobe. They shall be too worried about what I choose to clothe myself in to notice yours," River announced with a devious smile. Jayne smirked, wondering what on earth she would put together.

"Oh, thank you, River," Kaylee said, looking slightly worried at what would come of that.

"Have you all lost your minds?" Mal roared, so suddenly that even Jayne flinched slightly. Not that anyone besides River would notice. "This is my ship an' we ain't going to a gorram fancy dinner with River an' Simon's family on a gorram core planet."

"Yes we are," Kaylee said, setting her chin in a way that even Mal had trouble resisting. "I'm going to have a formal dinner with Simon's family and you're going to represent my family, you an' Zoë," She looked over at Mal with a stubborn look and Mal suddenly knew he had lost.

Zoë had raised her eyebrows. "Your family, Kaylee?" she said.

"You're like a young aunt or an older sister to me, Zoë," Kaylee said with a shrug. "I'd like it if'n ya could." Simon nodded, echoing Kaylee.

River sat back and smiled, leaning on Jayne, who glanced down at her. He had an odd feeling that River had known that some part of Simon had needed to formally introduce Kaylee in the core, to bring legitimacy to their relationship. He wondered if that need was the same in River and felt a moment that was composed both of panic and a hungry desire to claim River as his own. He loved River; he knew that. River had never pushed him to commit more than he was willing and he wondered briefly that had changed. He would gladly go through with it if it were just part of giving Simon and Kaylee what they needed, but he was slightly more hesitant at the redefinition of what it meant to his and River's relationship. Part of him was willing to take the next step, become legally entwined, but another part of him rebelled at the thought and he knew he wasn't quite ready for that.

"Don't want a change," River said quietly. "Happy with you now. Only needed to push Simon and Kaylee forward." She looked up at him with a small smile playing about her lips.

Jayne nodded and kissed the top of River's head, much relieved. The others had moved on, Inara and Kaylee discussing what Kaylee ought to wear, Zoë sitting back, stone faced, while Mal was cleaning his dishes.

"I'm going to set the coordinates," River said to Jayne, leaning over and kissing him lightly, laughing lightly as he tried to deepen the kiss and she drew away. She danced out of the kitchen and Jayne shoved back from the table and headed for the hold. It was his turn to tidy and he wanted to get some reps in as well.

***

River had set Serenity down on the Serafina docks with hardly a bump. It was surprising to Mal at least, that nothing had gone wrong yet. It was Osiris, after all, and Serenity had never faired well on the core planets. If this wasn't a core planet, Mal didn't know what was. He shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he could carry his pistol on his chest holster.

"No weapons will be necessitated. We will be safe behind our masks," River said, appearing in the hold.

"Masks, lil albatross?" Mal said frowning even as he realized it would probably be best not to ask.

"Masks. Our faces show no emotions and they become masks and not human," River said, in a rather distant voice.

"Ah, yes. Zoë and I shall be wearing our masks, then," Mal said.

"Good," River said, wandering around the hold, picking up random objects and setting them back down. She was dressed in her pinky orange baggy sweater, a giant red skirt that Mal did not want to know where she had gotten, and combat boots. As Jayne walked into the hold, he stopped short at the sight of River, before bursting out into full belly laughs.

"Darlin' I thought you were goin' ta distract your parents?" He asked, crossing towards River. Mal watched interestedly.

"I am. The discordance between each of these pieces of clothing will be enough to sidetrack my parents' cogitation that they will think Kaylee is clothed like an angel," River said with a small mischievous smile. Jayne snorted, taking another look at the ensemble. He was gorram shiny next ta her. It was too bad, her not wearing those shiny dresses she had. He weren't sure why he'd gone along so easily to visiting her family.

"Well, sure as gorram hell hope it works. Lil Kaylee sure needs all the help she can get," Jayne said, receiving a punch in the arm for his trouble. "Ow!" he whined. "I was just sayin'"

"Insults delivered shall be punished. A bruise is sufficient," River said with a haughty look on her face. Jayne shook his head.

"One o' these days, I'm gonna remember why I didn't want ta date ya in tha first place," Jayne growled. River smiled and stood on her tiptoes, kissing him right on the mouth and reminding of him why he did. Jayne slapped her on the ass as she sauntered past him, heading for the open door. She jumped slightly and smirked back at him. Jayne growled and turned back to Mal and Zoë, who were looking for all the world as if they were very busy. Which meant that they'd been listening in on him and River.

"Don't start," Jayne growled and wondered when they could get this thing over with. He was dressed in his best shirt-the one he used to have for whoring and, for the last year and a half, had been relegated to the bottom of his drawer. He tugged on the sleeves, feeling stifled already.

River came pattering back into hold. "Ready!" she cried with a big smile on her face. Jayne, Zoë and Mal stood just as Simon and Kaylee entered from above and Inara opened the door of her shuttle. Today, Inara had foregone a client and would be joining them, something Mal had been needling her almost ceaselessly about.

River smiled at her brother and Kaylee who both looked a tad green around the gills. "Your aesthetics are pleasing," she said looking up at them. At Kaylee's slightly blank look, she continued. "You're very pretty Kaylee."

"Thank you, River," Kaylee said with a tremulous smile.

"We gonna sit around here all day or are we gonna finish this?" Jayne growled, standing halfway between River and the outside world.

"Movement will occur when all parties are predisposed," River said, joining Jayne. "I am predisposed," she said while looking up at him with a smile.

"I'll just bet you are," Jayne growled and glared at the rest of them. "Let's get goin!" he said. The others moved as well, Mal, Zoë and Inara following Kaylee and Simon while Jayne and River were at the front. It only took ten minutes to walk from the docking station to River' house. During the walk, most of them found themselves marveling over the beauty of the neighborhood. River and Simon, were, of course, oblivious while all of Jayne's attention was focused on River and on not tripping over himself. Kaylee was beside herself, cooing over the well groomed grounds of the manors. It was only the fourth one, with a large iron work fence surrounding it that was the Tams' residence. Jayne halted as River opened the gate, passing the security easily and River had to nearly drag him in. Kaylee was fidgeting with her dress, holding desperately to Simon's arm and Simon was murmuring while the other three were standing back nearly identical looks of awe and disdain on Zoë and Mal's faces while Inara only looked mildly appreciative.

By the time Mal, Inara and Zoë reached the front door, it was open into a large, imposing front hall. The other four's voices were coming from a room to the side and the man holding the door was also holding a few odds and ends: Kaylee's purse that she had gotten specially for the event as well as Simon's jacket. Inara surrendered her wrap while Zoë and Mal looked around the house, automatically checking for traps, exits and possible sources of violence.

"If you will follow me?" the man with the belongings said, having shut the door and somehow gotten in front of them. Inara nodded politely.

"Will ya look at that, a gorram butler!" Mal murmured to Zoë who only cleared her throat lightly in response. They entered a large room that was composed of dark woods and leathers, rich oriental style carpets that were clearly based off rugs from Earth that Was and plenty of vases, small portraits, and figurines. River and Simon seemed unaffected by it but Jayne and Kaylee were standing next to each other; Kaylee was staring around with huge eyes.

"So much shiny," she murmured. Jayne harrumphed.

"Too much if'n ya ask me. Ain't no one needs this much stuff," he grumbled, eyeing the whole room suspiciously.

"I'm so glad you think so," a cultured voice came from behind Jayne. Mal's gaze flew past Jayne's considerably large shoulder. Jayne turned, eyes narrowed towards Gabriel Tam who had entered the room. "My wife and I have worked hard to provide a lovely decorated living room. I'm so very glad you appreciate it," his voice was polite, nearly hiding the sarcasm. Jayne sneered lightly but relaxed when River put a hand on his arm.

"Mr. Tam, we are so glad you have invited us to dinner," Inara spoke up, gliding forward.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Serra," Regan Tam said as she entered the room from the same door as her husband.

Inara inclined her head. "As it is to see you, Mrs. Tam," Inara said smoothly, covering the slight coughing fit that seemed to have overtaken Mal at that particular moment in time. River had stepped closer to Jayne, holding tightly to his hand. Her sudden insecurity brought Jayne a moment of courage and he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin, tightening his grip on River's hand.

River was murmuring, "have a home, not staying, the parental force cannot overcome that of the adoptive family," to herself.

Jayne let her mumble to herself, concentrating on thinking the same things. They had worked out, over time, that if he willed himself to feel strongly on something, River would, unless consciously blocking it, pick up on the emotions and the thoughts surrounding it without even looking. She shifted, loosening her muscles before letting go of his hand, having to forcefully extract her own from his grip. She stepped forward.

Her parents turned to her. "River, we've missed you so," her mother stepped forward and River obediently kissed her cheek.

"The distance from x to z is finite." At her parents' discomfited looks, River continued. "I don't miss you. You live." Her parents' faces fell, and Jayne could barely keep himself from snorting. Only River would insult the parents she was trying to get along with. Well, her darling brother probably would, as well. He was looking severely uncomfortable.

"What River means to say is that because you're here and you're alive and well, she doesn't miss you like she would if you were dead," Simon said, taking a step forward.

"Ah, of course," Gabriel Tam said nodding regally.

"Why don't we move to the dining room," Inara said, stepping between Gabriel Tam and his son.

"That is a splendid idea," Regan Tam said, heading quickly for the door she had entered in. With almost no pause, Gabriel swept after her, leaving the crew of serenity to follow. There was a little jumping and moving as the rest of them squeezed through the door. Kaylee was still looking around in awe, Simon and River were oblivious, and Zoë and Mal were both attempting to look as if they landed in this type of house on a regular basis.

The Tam dining room was a large, imposing room, austere in its simplicity. It had followed the theme of dark woods with the walls and floors a dark walnut. The table was covered in a navy blue tablecloth and the settings were both elegant and simple. Gabriel and Regan Tam took the opposite ends while River and Simon seemed to move as if in a dream, taking the seats they had always used, half way between their parents facing each other. There was some confusion as the others took their seats, Jayne muscling his way to sit besides River and Kaylee ending up on River's other side while Mal, Zoë and Inara joined Simon on the other side of the table.

"So, Ms Serra, tell us, how did you end up with this particular crew?" Regan Tam said after a few minutes of awkward silence. The crew, which was usually so boisterous had had little to say and the meals were on the lines of a little too fancy so they were unsure of how to act. Even Simon seemed unsure of what to say and River looked rather too fearful to speak.

Jayne was concentrating on shoving food into his mouth as fast as possible. He wanted out of this gorram house of freaks fast as possible. River stiffened next to him. "Relations are an impossibility that we must conquer or consequences," she murmured so quietly he was the only who heard her.

"What?" he asked, through a mouthful of food, looking at her and catching everyone else's attention at the same time. It took a minute to process, but he finally spoke again, head whipping around to look at River. "Aw, gorram it girl, do I have ta?" he asked, setting his fork down and swallowing fairly swiftly.

"No, but the problematic schema will continue unless you do," River said. At Jayne's blank look, she continued. "You have to break the silence, be polite. No one else will."

Jayne slumped, sighing heavily. "So," he said, ignoring his food, which raised brows from Mal and Zoë. "What exactly is it you do, Mr. Tam?" he nearly growled.

River's father looked slightly nonplussed. River and Simon's parents so far had successfully ignored Jayne. They had been pleasant enough to Kaylee, who was making an effort to ingratiate herself, but Jayne had been nothing but gruff. Social grace, however, forced a response out of him. "I work at a large investing firm. I'm their Chief Financial Officer, which means that I'm about third in the line of command. Something I'm sure you know nothing about," he said, voice haughty.

"Oh I don't know. Way I see it, I'm 'bout third in the chain o' command on Serenity," Jayne growled. "Course, there's a lot more o' the wadin' in fists at the ready in my line o' work than there is in yours." He shrugged his massive shoulders, still managing to look imposing. River was smiling to herself.

"What exactly, do you do, Mr…" Regan Tam spoke up, a delicate frown line marring her forehead.

"Cobb, Jayne Cobb," Jayne said without preamble. "And Mal likes ta call me human resources" River smiled to herself and Mal snorted.

"I do know something about human resources, myself. Worked there before I switched over to accounting. I worked my way up, you see."

"Ah. So did I, you might say. Started small time, y'know. On m'home planet. Worked my way up, lucked into this position," Jayne nodded sagely.

"It always takes a bit of luck. A lot of hard work and some luck. I was lucky to be given a chance to work under a particularly talented CFO when Simon was just a young boy and I worked hard to get where I am today," Gabriel Tam smiled fondly at his wife and children, forgetting for a moment who exactly he was speaking to.

Jayne nodded, thinking. "Picking up with Mal's crew, that was lucky. Had ta prove myself, though," He said, slanting a glance at River. At this point, Mal snorted, louder and both Gabriel and Regan Tam were forced to look in his direction.

"What is so funny?" Gabriel Tam. At this point, River giggled oddly and Jayne grinned.

"Jayne's not quite..human resources," Mal said, choosing his words carefully. "But you could say that is the closest we'll come to a true description," he said with a shrug.

"What is your real job?" Regan Tam said.

"Factors unseen will cause trouble. Sleeping dragons are better left sleeping," River said.

Both of her parents looked to River in confusion, unable to decipher what she was saying. Kaylee stepped in.

"What River is saying is that you would probably be better off not knowing what Jayne does," she said with a smile.

The two of them frowned. "I want to know what kind of man my daughter is involved with," Gabriel Tam said coolly, finally acknowledging the bond between River and Jayne.

There was a moment of silence before Jayne spoke, gravelly voiced. "I'm the one who makes sure jobs go smoothly," he said. "My size and knowledge of weaponry contri-" he frowned looking at River who smoothly said,

"Contributed, he intimidates others with his size and his guns." She smiled at her parents. "Sometimes he lets me try," She shrugged and looked up at him.

Her parents were looking rather aghast. "Darling, you're so small, I don't think you could-"

Jayne interrupted smoothly. "River can beat me in a fight. Y'don't think she'd be able to intimidate someone if'n she wanted to? We've all seen it. She's a natural."

Simon spoke up. "You know River's always been good at everything," he said to his parents sounding placating. "Her reader abilities allow her to pinpoint precisely how to intimidate a client into giving us our pay with the least amount of damage possible," he grinned at River who looked unfazed by the torrent of emotions surrounding her.

"Darling, why are you," Regan Tam shuddered before uttering the next words. "With Mr. Cobb?" The question hadn't been asked directly of River yet and River smiled.

"He sees me. All of me. And he's a rock where I can rest hiding away from the world." River said. Her parents still looked confused.

Jayne had had to have this explained to him a few times when River had started following him around the ship a few months after Miranda. He spoke up. "River 'splained this to me a while back. She feels everythin' we all do an' somehow I'm able to keep the 'motions from bein' too strong. I'm something to-to" he frowned for a moment. "Anchor herself to." He finally said.

Simon felt the need to step in. "Mother, Father, The academy stripped River's amygdala in order to amplify her reader capabilities," he said, looking between the two of them. Neither of them seemed to understand. "They took away her ability to shove an emotion to the back of her brain. All of her emotions and those of others around her, she feels them immediately and cannot not feel them." His mother's expression grew horrified and his father's stony.   Jayne felt River's hand creep over and grab his, her tiny hand dwarfed by his own. He squeezed it gently, allowing his own frustrations to drain out of him. Another awkward silence descended over the table and the dessert course was retrieved from the side table where the same man who had answered the door had set it discreetly earlier.

The dinner came to an end, no one particularly wanting to stay for drinks afterwards. Jayne was the first up, causing a slightly awkward commotion as the others quickly rose to join him. It was Inara and Zoë who found themselves thanking the Tams for their hospitality while River and Simon had disappeared into the caverns of the house. Jayne, Mal, and Kaylee all stood as close to the door as they could get. Regan Tam extracted herself from conversation with Inara and hurried over to Kaylee.

"Dear, I hope we see each other soon. It was a pleasure having you for dinner," Regan Tam said with what looked to be a genuine smile.

"I-yes, of course, Mrs. Tam," Kaylee said. "That would be shiny," she said, wincing at the use of the word shiny. Regan Tam nodded and turned to Mal and Jayne both of whom looked rather like they were deer in the headlights. "It was very nice to meet you. I accept that River has made her decision to stay with you and I hope that you would protect her as we would," she said, obliquely, seemingly forgetting that she and her husband had believed River was not being hurt in the Academy.

Mal nodded. "I treat her as if she were my own daughter. Of course, she could kill me in her sleep…" he said, shaking his head.

Regan Tam seemed to disregard the last statement, nodding. "I thank you," she finally said. Turning to Jayne she eyed him. "I think it goes without saying that should you hurt my daughter…" she trailed off, looking as threatening as possible, which wasn't very. It was at that moment that Simon and River reappeared, each rolling a small suitcase.

"Oh don't worry mother, we were just getting a few odds and ends, mostly clothes so River can have a better wardrobe," Simon said. Their reappearance had prompted Inara and Zoë to extract themselves from conversation with Gabriel Tam. The crew was now all standing in the entry way and the butler had mysteriously appeared again, distributing their purses and jackets. The seven of them nearly hurtled out of the house as soon as Simon and River said good-bye, eager to get back to the safety of Serenity. It had been like that on almost every planet and every situation since Mr. Universe's moon. They felt vulnerable and worried if they spent too much time off of serenity.

"Well, that went well," Jayne growled as they stalked up the entryway.

"Actually, it did," Simon said, turning back towards Jayne just before he disappeared to go to the infirmary. "Our parents took your relationship with River quite well, considering." He nearly smiled at Jayne who looked unfathomable.

"Ah. Well then," Jayne grumbled, tugging at his shirt and stalking towards his bunk with River trotting after him. It had been an interesting night and the whole crew seemed to be in agreement that they all needed time on their own after it. Tomorrow would only bring a new set of challenges, after all.


	3. Right under their noses

A/N: So I thought it was going to be a one shot. But perhaps, I'll just do stand alone chapters for this 'story' and discontinue the one starting before the series…. So, for that matter, I am writing this from the perspective of Jayne, through the episode of Ariel.

He had been minding his own gorram business, he had. He was cleaning his knives and guns, tinkering with them while Kaylee and Inara played cards. Wash and Zoe had come sauntering in bickering over somethin'. Simon was laughing at something with Wash.

Jayne had taken to ignoring her presence, seein' as she was a creepifyin' moonbrain (and he couldn't help repeating himself). It weren't like Mal could possibly put up with it much longer. There was that re-ward to think on and their sums were gettin' mighty low. 10 percent of nuthin was nuthin after all.

Mal'd come in and settled it, said no one were gettin' off. Almost made him wish he'd gotten off with the shepherd. At least there, he would've been outside.

He was leaning back, having just finished putting together Maria and sharpening Darlene and responding to the Doc when all of a sudden there was a stinging and then a sharp pulsing pressure. He reared back. He sat there for less than a second before shouting in pain and standing, backhanding the gorram girl, sending her flying. He sat down with a thump, hand to chest, barely noticing the hands guiding-pushing him in that direction.

The freakish moonbrain looked up at him, eyes wide saying "he looks better in red." Jayne eyed her before standing, keeping a hand to his chest and stomping off to the infirmary. The gorram twisted siblings needed off this ship. If no one else was gonna do that, well he'd just have to take innitive or whatever the gorram word was. He'd have to do it.

Over the next two days, he didn't see the gorram girl at all, which was good as he'd probably have smacked her again if she got too close. That little niggling voice pushed at him, echoing his ma's words to him years ago, that good men didn't hit women. Well, he wasn't a good man and he only hit 'em when they hit him first. He shoved the thought ruthlessly down as he strained to lift himself up, to do another chin up. He wished to high hell he could get off this ship, it'd help somethin' fierce at washing away everything.

As Mal jogged down the stairs into the cargo hold, Jayne dropped to the ground, preparing to exit the area. "You feel up to a game of horseshoe?" Mal called, glancing over at Jayne.

Jayne lifted his shoulders and lowered them. "If you're offerin'," he said. It was probl'y a half hour later when the doc suddenly interrupted them, talking about a job. Only a few hours later, he found the perfect opportunity to speak to the feds about retrieving the Tam siblings. Weren't like he liked it, but he couldn't have the girl goin' about swiping random people. There were Kaylee and Inara to think on. Well and Zoe, but she could handle herself always could. An' well, he did like the money. Good money, enough to go on home with. Or visit, anyhow. Mebbe it'd cure Matty.

Mal an' Zoe, they all thought his love of many came out of selfish wants. An' it did, he would be the first to agree with 'em. Problem was, it weren't the only thing it came from. Matty had damp lung an' he knew very well how costly it could get 'round the homefront with that. The little voice that reminded him of how Kaylee would look at him if she ever found out he'd a done that. Even though her life was in danger from the gorram moonbrain.

He snorted in disgust as he sidled up to the nearest street console-the one with the quick cortex links to police and other 'ficial agencies or whatnot. He knew well enough how much he stood out, man of his size. He could only hope Kaylee and Wash stayed well enough in the junkyard, despite all of Kaylee's wheedling.

The face in the cortex looked rather ratlike, a small pointed face dwarfed by the cap and jacket he was wearing. Jayne sneered, "Need to talk to someone what knows 'bout the River Tam fugitives case." The little man gave him a blank look and Jayne growled slightly.

"Right, right away," the rat tapped at something and suddenly the screen was filled with a rather pasty looking oval faced man who didn't seem to have seen action a day in his life.

"Could be as I have information on the whereabouts of Simon an' River Tam," Jayne sneered. "Heard there was a re-ward being offered?"

"You did hear correctly, Mr…?" the fleshy man paused. Jayne sneered, expression darkening. The man seemed to re-think asking his name pretty quickly.

"Thing is, I know they're goin ta be in the hospital. I can bring 'em out for ya," Jayne growled, still ignoring the tightening in his belly. He didn't ever have trouble savin' his own hide, especially if that benefitted his own self or Matty. Not ever.

"You'll contact me on the cortex when you are in a position to turn them in," the man said, a tone of authority in his voice.

Jayne growled. "It's what I contacted ya in the first place for," he said, cutting off the stream and stepping away from the cortex screen. He shoved his hands in his pockets, aware of just how well he stood out in this crowd, he stalked off, easily cutting through the crowds of people.

He was still ignoring the slight tightening in his belly. Guilt was something that didn't belong. He was doing this for the best of everyone. Crazy girl belonged in that place. Obviously her brother couldn't take care of her.

****

The tightening disappeared as he escorted Simon and River through the hospital. The gorram freak started whining about something, what he couldn't quite tell. Somehow, though Simon seemed to figure it out and Jayne found himself bent in half over River's wheelchair, an arm around her shoulders while he hissed at Simon to get his scrawny butt back. 'Course the boy didn't listen. He never did. It took another minute before River calmed enough that he was able to take his arm away and Jayne scowled, pretending to be unimpressed by the ease with which Simon sank into the role of surgeon, quickly fixin' someone else's mistake.

The room they ended up in was quite empty except for the thingy in the middle that River ended up in.

"They cut into her brain, they opened up her skull and cut into her brain," Simon said, sounding rather confused and angry all at the same time. Jayne frowned, shifting in his uniform. This was something he wasn't expecting. The girl had always been a moon brain, hadn't she? He just assumed Simon thought the academy was mis-using her some how.

But, no. Jayne listened with a growing discomfort to Simon tell him of how the place had stripped her am-dally thing. The thought occurred to him that mebbe River had been, well, sane, before this school thing. If they were cuttin' on her brain so drastically.

And somehow, it became impossible for him to turn them in now. He couldn't help but think of Matty when listening on Simon speak of River.

***

It was three days later when Mal allowed River to be freed from sitting in her room all day. Not that Jayne cared. It was better if'n he didn't see her. But, somehow, she seemed to find him in the galley, standing there in her rather ghostly way. He looked up at her, grunted and made to head back to his bunk when she spoke.

"Time rolls around, exculpation from all will be achieved through behavioral modification," She said, and Jayne glanced at her. She was studying him and Jayne stiffened before dismissing the moonbrain and heading to his bunk. And though he hadn't in the end, intended for them to be caught, he couldn't help but still wish them the hell of this ship.


	4. In Plain Sight

A/N: I think it'll be obvious-that when I'm describing Jayne with the more grammatically correct 'fancy' descriptions, I'm writing from River's perspective. Also-timing wise, this is several months post BDM and Simon has found a particular medication that works most of the time only very recently.

River was on a mission. Only Jayne knew though and he wasn't about to say anything to the rest of the crew; she'd read it off him. As she clung to ceiling, she considered her actions. Simon's meds had helped her. Made her mind clearer, helped her in knowing what she was saying. Even poor Jayne understood what she was saying most of the time. Except when her brainpan was fried. Which was still too often for everyone's taste.

Almost time. She turned her head, shifted her right hand and her left foot, feeling how the metal vibrated in a certain way, indicating that someone, in this case, the right someone was coming her way. She forced her muscles to obey her, to become still, like stone.

Jayne turned the corner, all sweatified from working out, waves of exhaustion pummeling her. River wrinkled her nose. He looked better in red, in the color of life, but that did not translate to her having to like the smell of it, after all.

"Moonbrain," he said laconically, rubbing the back of his neck as he passed under her, "work on findin' a better hidin' spot. No way you could have surprised me there."

River let her feet hang down and dropped noiselessly to the metal grating below. "The girl was-_I_" she self corrected knowing just how much everyone preferred that she not use the third person, "was silent and still like stone, impossible to have seen me," she finished defiantly, trailing after Jayne, rather like one of those silly little lapdogs she had always seen when she was little.

Jayne snorted. "Impossible an' yet, I jus' did it. He turned back to face her, having reached the galley.

"But that was the-I was covert! Never a better hiding spot," River said in confusion. "I must intuit that you are precognitive," River raised her head in defiance, staring at Jayne who just looked back in puzzlement.

"What's that mean?" he asked.

River rolled her eyes, "Intuit is to understand or work out by instinct."

"Well why couldn't you just say that instead?" Jayne grumbled. "And I ain't done that by intutting or whatever. Just always make sure to look everywhere, even up when I'm walkin'" Jayne said with a shrug of his shoulders.

River twisted her mouth, pouting. "Well then, how am I supposed to surprise you?" she asked. "I might have elevated intelligence, but that was my premiere effort!"

"Try an' use that brain o' yours. I done tol' ya, you will be able to surprise me," Jayne said as he headed back towards his bunk, meaning to shower.

"Well, how am I to know what it is if you won't tell me?" She asked.

"Moonbrain, _I_ don't know what it is, but I'm fair certain I ain't seen everythin' yet. You can surprise me, I'm sure," Jayne said, a certain amount of frustration rolling off him towards River who took a step back, feeling it.

"Ok," River said quietly and turned, floating off to find her brother. Jayne shook his head and let himself down into his bunk. She'd been tryin' to surprise him these last few weeks. He put up with it as it would help her in their jobs, bein' able to sneak up on someone an' surprise them. Now she weren't quite as space cadet as she were in the past, it was a might easier to put up with her.

An' she hadn't done nothing to hurt no one in over a year. Jayne was almost developin' a fondness for her. For her skills, at least, which came in handy. In the savin' his own hide business. Didn't go beyond that. Even now the doc was 'bout ready to shoot him dead just for partnerin' with the tiny moonbrain-not that he could.

***

"River?" Simon's quiet voice echoed through the ship easily. Sighing, River crawled out from one of the hidey holes in the cargo hold; she realized while crawling out that she had been mistaken, this would not have surprised Jayne in the least. And it took far too much time to get out of even with her superior flexible body.

No, she would have to use her knowledge of this ship and think of another way. She stood and lightly padded up the stairs, where Simon was just coming into the cargo hold.

"There you are, River," Simon said, relief evident in his voice.

River rolled her eyes. "Finite number of locations you could find me," She said, pouting.

Simon took her arm and steered her back down, towards the med bay.

"No-don't-" River protested.

"River, your meds," Simon prompted as they walked towards the med bay.

"Oh, right, time is ephemeral," River said, still dragging her feet as they entered the austere room. At Simon's blank look, she clarified. "I forgot."

"River, you know that if you don't feel safe, we can move on," Simon said as he carefully injected her medicine.

"Safety first," River said, flicking at an invisible speck of dust. "Must always be safe. No fun," she said, rolling her eyes.

Simon shook his head. "Meimei, you can have plenty of fun while being safe. I worry about you," he said.

"I'm safe, Simon. Know when the projectiles will be fired and where they will be directed. Can save big men and strong woman," River said. It was always hardest to make herself understood right as she was being given the new drug. It would take another half hour for the medicine to start helping her again. No more trying to surprise Jayne then.

"What do you mean, River?" Simon asked, confused.

River paused, trying to wrap her brain around making her words clearer. "Keep you from your job," she said shortly. "No bursts of red, no holes in clothing, healthy partners," she said, frowning.

Simon cocked his head to the side, pausing, as he knew he could understand her if he tried. "Oh, River, you mean you know when someone will fire a gun at Mal, Jayne, or Zoë?" he asked, mildly surprised.

"Yes," River said with a bright smile towards him.

"That's what I been tryin' to tell ya, Doc," Mal said, ducking into the infirmary. "Morning, lil' albatross," the captain said with a wry grin. "River here's gone and made herself indispensable."

Simon frowned. "Surely you could make do without her," he said responding in exactly the way he always had to River's participation in the heists.

"You know very well, I can't. If River weren't there, Jayne and I'd both be dead at least five times over and Zoë would be dead three times over," Mal responded, in the way he always responded. "Now, don't that seem unfair how Zoë seems not to be killed as often," he mused.

"Completely," Simon said dryly with an arch of his brow. "I'm going to find Kaylee. Please don't give me details on what you'll be doing. I assure you I don't want to know," her brother said as he headed out of the bay. River hopped down from the examining table and floated out the door only to be stopped by Mal's voice.

"Lil' albatross, you going to be here with us for our heist later today?" Mal asked.

"Blood flows one way and will eventually reach the brain," River said with a smile. "You shall have your bird," she said as she pranced back to her room, intent on plotting how she could surprise Jayne.

***

River had failed the big dark man. She had failed and failed and failed. She tried distracting herself, reminding herself that she couldn't keep track of everyone's thoughts at every moment. But it was her job to know when someone was touching a gun. Was going to use it. But it was so fast. Still failure!

She bit down on her lip, as they skidded into the cargo hold, voices shouting. All she could feel was anxiety and pain from everyone, no space for herself but her own anxiety made space anyways. Her was too crowded. She didn't know what she was saying and somewhere in there, Jayne was disgusted with her sudden inability to make sense.

She got out of the mule and ran farther into the ship. Distance. Distance would be good, she'd never make sense if she had to stay near the rest of them and deal with their fear too. She found herself automatically dropping into one of the crew's quarters, mind still tangled up in it's own thoughts, now that she was far enough away to shut the others' out.

It was her fault, all her fault. Jayne had been shot and because Mal and Zoë were suddenly panic stricken, something they never had been before about Jayne, she couldn't focus on whether or not it was a serious injury. All she picked up from Jayne was pain and anger.

She should have realized that man had a gun, was intending to use it. But he had just arrived and she had been busy, trying to make sure some of the patrons of the establishment were disengaged, as it were. She'd looked up, recognizing the warmth in her mind that warned of a new entity to discover the man already had a gun and was aiming it-at Jayne. She'd shrieked his name, he had looked in her direction and then stumbled backwards, hit by the gun before diving under cover. Or, really, falling.

She paced, calming herself. It had been high and he could still-mostly-move on his own. Statistics of survival, with best care, which he had, were high. Nothing to worry herself over. She curled herself into a ball, wishing that she could be like she had been before the academy. Some small voice pointed out that she was, in fact, getting somewhat better if she was able to realize this, but she was focused on other issues, like Jayne getting shot. She closed her fist around the fitted sheet, concentrating on breathing.

Over time, it slowed and River's mind became fuzzier and less concerned. Her hand loosened and she fell into dreaming.

***

"What in the gorram world are ya doin' in my bed, moonbrain?" a rough voice woke her and River blinked, rather stupidly. She looked up to find Jayne, a little worse for the wear, standing over her looking rather befuddled and-surprised.

"I surprised you?" River said, sitting up. "I-I never thought-I didn't even know I was in your room," she cocked her head to the side considering him. "I suppose I must surprise me when I surprise you," she said.

Jayne growled. "You're gorram right, you surprised me, you're in my _bed_. Where I mean to sleep, preferably now."

River gracefully stood, still studying Jayne carefully. She hadn't intended to surprise him, hadn't meant to be in his bed, in his room. "I apologize, I wasn't thinking," River said, frowning.

"You, not thinking?" Jayne snorted. "Just gorram get out, alright?" he said, sounding weary and somehow, not angry.

"No more surprised," River said, as she scrambled up the ladder. "Unintentionally succeeded. Feel better," she added as an afterthought.

Jayne was already lying on his back, eyes closed. He merely grunted in response. She closed the hatch on his door and wandered back towards the med bay and her room, to check on Simon. Simon was cleaning up in the med bay.

"Oh, there you are, River. Are you alright? You're not hurt?" Simon asked hurrying over to her.

"No, not hurt. Just, I didn't know what I was thinking," she said, rubbing her left wrist with her right hand.

"Oh, meimei, all those emotions?" Simon asked.

"I escaped, now it's better," River said, staring around the med bay, twitchy and wanting to get out. She hated the med bay in its austere plainness. Reminded her too much of her time in the academy.

"Meimei, why don't you go take a nap?" Simon suggested.

"A nap would be welcomed," River said and wandered out the door, still processing the after effect of Jayne's shooting.


	5. Deceit is the Name of the Game

They were headed for Virtus, a small moon a few days travel away from Persephone. River flicked one of the controls, adjusting their course. Mal wanted to get there in a decently appropriate time this time, which made it _so_ much easier for River. She sighed, remembering the last trip where he had made them take three weeks for a trip that normally took five days. She was nearly done when a request to connect to Serenity popped up.

River automatically accepted. As the woman's face came into view, River cocked her head to the side. There was something…odd about the woman's eyes, but she couldn't place it. Her reading abilities were difficult to use when it was just an image and sound over the cortex.

"Serenity is speaking,"

"This here's Autumn Cobb," the woman said, eyes delving to River's soul even through the cortex. "You ain't who I spoke to last time but I guess that'd be so as m'boy said the poor dear up and died. Who're you?"

"Who I am is of little consequence, but my name is River. Shall I retrieve the-" River paused, searching for a word that would not offend the woman who had named him. "Shall I retrieve Jayne?

"Possibly, possibly not," the small woman said, eyeing River. "I heard tell Serenity'll be comin' to Virtus?"

"There are ambitions to that direction although one might wonder how those ambitions came to be known to you?"

"Don' question it, I have m'sources, girl," the older woman said. Mrs Cobb cocked her head to the side, eyes cold just as Jayne's were. How disconcerting. Nodding, she found herself charmed by Jayne's mother. "Now, as y'all seem ta be comin' to Virtus 'thout plans ta see Riordan, I'm guessin' Jayne's not made a fussbucket over it bein' his hometown?" the woman continued.

River blinked. That explained the odd swell and clamp of emotions from Jayne at Mal's announcement of their destination. "There are signs of proof that I overlooked."

"Hmph. Well, be that as it may, I need a favor from you. If'n y'have some leeway in your schedule, I'd like ta see my boy while he's on the same planet as me. Have some news needs be sharin'. Don't be spreadin this 'bout as it always were better ta s'prise him, as I'm thinkin' ya might have known."

River nodded. "Secret shall stay locked up. Serenity will settle tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," Mrs Cobb said before flicking off the transmission. Cortex vid calls were expensive after all and Jayne did not come from a family with money. River flicked some of the switches, changing their direction slightly so as to arrive at Riordan.

She smiled to herself, anticipating the various reactions when they landed in Jayne's backyard as opposed to New Providence as planned. She could bar everyone from the bridge, they would take it as a quirk in her behavior. She quirked her lips. They were _so _easy to manipulate. It had been a couple of months since the combination of her new medication and the release that going through Miranda brought her brain had helped her regain some of her mental cognizance and control over her body and brain. Her language was still not where she'd like it to be.

Of course, she still had 'episodes,' as she referred to them, but the true ones were few and far in between. She was cultivating a quirky persona in order to get away with certain behaviors. Such as landing them in a different spot than they were supposed to.

She switched the ship over to autopilot and floated down to the galley just as Jayne and Kaylee sat down to eat. Meals besides dinner were catch as catch can, but River could usually find Jayne and Kaylee there if she kept a watch out on their emotions and thoughts. Jayne's was steady most of the time, a dark, pulsing maroon that spoke of protection and shielded violence towards those who harmed what was his.  "Hello," She said as she wandered over to the shelving, preparing her own lunch of protein mush with some spices in it.

"Hi River!" Kaylee said cheerfully. Jayne grunted as he shoved food in his mouth. River took a moment to evaluate the broadcasted emotions and thoughts from him. Almost normal, although he seemed to be circling back to a boy named Matty more often than he usually did. River was fairly sure Matty was Jayne's younger sibling, but she hadn't bothered to search through his memories. She started eating and calculated how long she had before she had to readjust Serenity's controls.

***

The ship settled just as Jayne entered the Cargo hold. He checked his guns and hit the button to open the door. He had turned back to check on the cargo they were carrying for this job when he realized that he had not, in fact, heard the doors open. "O zhe zhen shi ge kuaile de jinzhan" He spit out as he turned back to the door. He pressed the button again. Nothing. "MAL" He shouted.

"What? You gotta shout my name all the time?" Mal was stomping down the stairs into the hold.

"Doors won't open."  "Zao gao! You tried jiggling it?" Jayne stared at Mal and rolled his eyes.

"Problem, sir?"

"Door won't open," Jayne said, looking up to see Zoe approaching. Jayne glared at the door. He was antsy, it bein' his home planet an' all. He wouldn't go an' vanish on Mal. But bein' only miles away from where he'd grown up made a man tetchy.

"Doors are following orders, won't reveal the destination until I ask," River said as she floated into the room.

"Moonbrain, whattaya done?" Jayne snarled.

"Only what the mother asked," River responded as she opened the doors into the world. Jayne stared out. They definitely weren't in New Providence. No way no how. But it looked familiar. He jogged out, curious. It smelled familiar as well. As he stood in the long grasses that were slightly flattened by the arrival of Serenity, he caught sight of a building in the distance, one that looked like the bar he used to frequent. From the same angle as the hill above his house. He found himself bolting down the hill towards the familiar sight of his home.

He banged through the door. "Ma?" his loud voice echoed in the house.

"Jayne, I didn't expect ya 'fore eleven. That girl o' yours got ya here right quickly," his mother entered the hall from the kitchen. Jayne swept her into a hug, lifting the tiny woman off of her feet.

"Missed ya too, son," his mother said, patting his back. "Now- if'n ya could put me down.." Jayne set her down, rather sheepishly. There was yelling from the yard, indistinct, but his ma, always the protector straightened. "You go on up and find your brother. He's got somethin' important needs sharin'. I'll take care o' this."

Jayne grinned, wishing he could witness it. But what his ma said, well, it was law. He bounded up the rickety stairs to find a rather tall skinny man just coming out from the bathroom. He blinked.

"Matty?"

"Jayne?"

"Matty, that you..what?" Jayne stared at his brother, taller. Healthy-lookin. Not a shrimp and not laid up in bed.

"Jayne!" His brother launched himself at him, pummelling every bit he could find. Jayne grabbed his brother in a headlock and the two of them somehow managed to tumble down the stairs.

"Thought ya had damp lung! Ya always been sick!" Jayne shouted as they twisted around in circles, Matty trying to break his hold.

"Nah. Money ya sent home, finally healed me." The smaller man grunted out. Jayne found himself pushed out of the door and, spying Mal, Zoe and the moonbrain all surrounding his mother, he let go of Matty and stood.

***

"Mal and Zoe think Jayne's been brainwashed," River announced.

"What?" Kaylee asked.

"It's not true. Jayne simply knows where we are. Home. Didn't have time to tell Mal and Zoe," River said with a roll of her eyes.

"River, what is going on?" Simon asked.

"Big man's ma asked me to bring him home. I did, as we don't need to be in New Providence immediately," River said with a shrug. "Guns need to be put down," River said, picking up something of what was happening at the base of the hill. She turned and ran out of the ship, leaving a rather confused Kaylee and Simon.

Managing Serenity's crew was _so_ tedious sometimes. By the time, however, that she reached the bottom of the hill, Jayne had disappeared, presumably into the house, and Zoe and Mal were pointing their guns at a very small woman who had a rifle of her own pointed at them.

"Trust is not freely taken here," River said, cocking her head to the side as she came up to the odd group. "But it can be given."

"River, dear, is that you?" Autumn Cobb said, finally looking at her. "Why don't you tell your friends here to lower their very nice weaponry?"

"Zoe and Mal, weapons are no longer a necessity," River said looking at the two of them.

"Don't know 'bout that, Little albatross. The old woman here's got a gun pointed at us," Mal said even as he lowered his weapon slowly.

"Jayne's not dead," River said, looking at the house. "Alive. Blood flows, heart beats heavy and fast."

"River, we don't know what you mean," Zoe tried.

River smiled before hurrying over to greet Autumn Cobb. "Hello, Mrs Cobb," River said

The older woman greeted her with a nod and "Pleased ta see you face t'face. Knew y'could help. You'll find coffee and some homemade sweets inside."

River smiled broadly. "That would be lovely, Mrs Cobb. It was a long morning, having to keep the crew in the dark," She said. By this time, Mal and Zoe had lowered their guns and were looking rather bewildered.

"Not everything is as it seems," River said, turning back to the others, watching Kaylee and Simon approach as well.

There were two shouts from just inside the door way and two rather large bodies tumbled out, locked in a struggle of push and pull. Finally, Jayne disentangled himself from the slightly shorter and skinnier man. He stood there for a moment, eyes flicking between everyone while River stood, next to his mother. "Mal, Zoe, this'd be my Ma, Autumn Cobb, and my younger brother, Matty," Jayne finally said. "Ma, this is Kaylee. That's Simon," he added, nearly as an afterthought.

"Well, why didn't ya just say so, before River?" Mal said glancing between River Jayne, Autumn Cobb and Zoe.

Zoe smiled and shook Autumn's hand. "It is nice to meet you," Zoe said, looking around her.

"Jayne, care to explain why we're here rather than New Providence?" Mal finally said after a long pause. River fidgeted and Jayne's eyes shot to her.

"Truth to tell, Mal, I had no idea we were gonna land here. Figgered I'd drop by if'n you let us have an extra day or two over at New Providence. You should ask River, I'm thinkin'." Jayne said this with a shrug.

"River? You have something to do with this?" Mal asked, turning to her.

"Well o' course, she does!" Autumn Cobb interrupted before River could even open her mouth to explain. "I done asked her ta bring m'boy home for a day an' no one says no t'me."

Mal blinked. "Well we weren't plannin' on bein' here. An' I'd have appreciated notice of the change in plans, Li'l albatross," he said, narrowing his eyes at River.

"If I told you, we would never have come," she said. "Jayne needed to come home."

"Kaylee, dearest, I've heard so much about you," Mrs Cobb said, hurriedly changing the subject and hurrying forward and hugging Kaylee who looked rather surprised.

"Nice to meetcha too, Mrs Cobb. Jayne didn't say nothin' 'bout you, I'm 'fraid. Didn't even know he talked 'bout me," Kaylee said, as they broke apart. River smiled slightly; it would be a lovely visit, once Mal and Zoe got over their discomfort. River found herself wishing that Inara was here. She could have eased away the trouble. Taken the stress of caring for everyone. But Inara was at the Training house for a few months and River had to try.

"Well now, I have coffee and some fresh made eggs and bacon for those of ya who don't feel a need to hold an old lady at gun point no longer," Autumn Cobb said before striding back into her house. Mal and Zoe slowly put away their guns and followed the rest of them inside.

River studied the house now that she was alone. It was older, two stories, and the white paint was peeling off in large pieces; the roof was also sagging slightly. Some part of River's heart wished she still had access to the money her family had, to fix it.

As she walked in the house, she was greeted by the warm smell of real food. Nothing like what had been home, but food, not protein. The floorboards were old and creaky and the walls were white. She caught a glimpse of an old dining room, where there were a few cheap portraits on the wall and an old chipped table with a motley assortment of chairs strewn around it. Voices were coming from down the hall, beyond the stairs.

River padded down the hall, trailing fingers on the wall, trying to get a sense of the house. She was so wrapped up in the feeling of the house (old, friendly, and a little worn down), that she didn't notice the growing warmth of a human being bearing down on her.

"Goin' somewhere crazy?" a low voice asked before River found herself yanked into a closet. She made to defend herself, automatically punching at the throat area but found her wrists restrained by one large hand.

"Gorramit, it's jes' me," the voice said again, now sounding rather like Jayne's voice. River peered up in the dark, attempting to read Jayne. But right now, he was a jumble of emotions, dark red and orange mostly but covered with tints of soft blues and greens.

"Red and green don't go together," River said softly.

"You gone in the brainpan?" Jayne said gruffly. "S'pose y'are. Why I wanna talk to ya in the first place. What in the niu gao were ya thinkin,' bringin' everyone here to mah home?"

"Incentives cannot be controlled. Outside forces direct the water and it must follow," River said, frowning as she tried to make her words understandable.

"Aw, hell."

"Despite best efforts, comprehension seems to be lacking."

"Don't do it again," Jayne warned and shoved his way past her, into what now appeared to be a brightly lit hallway.

River blinked and sat down in the closet. She would need the medication soon, her words seemed to be disappearing faster than normal.

***

"Now, where is River?" Autumn Cobb's voice was suddenly loud and clear. River studied her hands, wondering at their color and form. Places and people were inconsequential.

The door was opened further and River looked up to find Autumn Cobb standing there, Kaylee behind her smiling.

"Human forms are insubstantial and inconsequential. You have to look for the deeper meaning," River said earnestly, looking between the two of them. Autumn Cobb's face was a study in confusion.

"Oh dear, River honey, wouldn't you like your medication?" Kaylee said stepping around the older woman.

"Hospitals lead to the blue hands I don't want to go!" River said, nearly wailing.

"What-why is the girl actin' so woolly?"

"She's got some trouble with the connections in her brainpan, Mrs Cobb," Kaylee said before turning to River and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Honey, let's go find Simon." She found herself shuttled her down the hall to the room she hadn't visited, where everyone was in some state of lounging.

"This is home. Old and welcoming with many stories to tell, but the ghosts, the ghosts are friendly and they mean well," River tried. Simon hurried over to her, taking her face in his hands.

"River, meimei, why didn't you say something?" he asked, ignoring Jayne's snort.

As River felt herself being lead back towards the ship, she shook her head. "No, no, Don't want to, Necessity to stay in the home," she dug in her heels at the door.

"Someone care to explain to me what is going on?" Autumn Cobb was standing behind them, mouth soured.

"I-Kaylee, can you watch River while I go get the medication?" asked Simon.

"Sure thing, darlin'," Kaylee said, kissing him on the cheek. "We'll stay right here, River." Simon took off for the ship and River almost instantly disregarded his presence, focusing inwards

"Why's the girl woolly?"

"What's always been will always be," River murmured.

"River's a reader an' the Alliance liked it a bit too much. Cut into her brain and messed with it," Kaylee said. "Simon's figgered the meds out, but sometimes she goes low fast. Makes her talk more crazy than normal."

"An' why would she go woolly now?" Autumn Cobb eyed River warily and River wished she could make herself understood.

"Too many people. Simon says it's the stress of a situation. Strong emotions are hard for her. It's what she picks up on easiest."

"Well, what you say makes sense," Autumn Cobb finally conceded. "Best we get her inside. She'll need time t'adjust to the meds, right? We'll put her in Becca's old room."

River found herself propelled up the stairs and into a small room. "Old stories make for the best homes," River found herself saying as she took in her new surroundings, all of it old, well used and filled with light blues and greens. Well-loved.

She sat down as there was no other course for her. Drawing her knees up under her chin, she stared balefully at Kaylee who sighed. Kaylee opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a yelp and a crash.

Jayne was in the doorway. River bent her head sideways peering at him. Jayne was in the doorway, but he was bent in half.

"You tell that girl you are sorry!" Autumn Cobb's voice spoke from behind the bulk of Jayne. "And mean it. I'm sure River will tell me if you don't."

"Ow, Ma! I'm not eight!" Jayne said, trying to shrink away from his mother who had a firm grip on his ear and was twisting it.

"Oh you ain't eight, but you should be treated like one. You 'pologize, now!"

"Alright alright! Tian chen!" Jayne's voice was higher pitched than River or Kaylee had ever heard it before. Kaylee was holding her hand before her mouth, which was twitching slightly, almost forming a smile.

"River, ow, ma, I'm sorry I been mean ta ya. Won't happen again," Jayne yowled.

"River, dear?" Autumn Cobb asked, peering around from Jayne's bulk.

"Validity is hard to evaluate. You're hurting him!" River said, surprising her self at the last. It was true, she couldn't tell if he would still make fun of her. But she didn't like watching him in pain when he didn't have to be.

Autumn Cobb blinked and let go of Jayne's ear. He shot up, clapping one large hand to the ear. He studied River, himself a study in his steady dark maroon with flashes of orange and greens and blues. He whirled without a word and stomped out of the room, carefully stepping around his mother. For the first time, River was tempted to reach out and latch on to the maroon. It was so steady, there all the time. Why she would now, when he was being held prisoner by his ma's fingers, well that didn't make any sense.

Autumn Cobb was standing there, studying River critically. River frowned. Jayne's dark maroon was comforting. It was simply his color, he was like a stone in most occasions, unflappable.

She couldn't tell what his mother's colors were. They were flipping between two, but colors meant different things on different people, so River was having trouble reading her. She could push farther, into Autumn's thoughts, but that would be dangerous. She didn't know Autumn or what she would find there.

Jayne had been terrifying when she first poked about in his brain, until she had figured him out. Now, now he was reliable in his thoughts and emotions. Excitable only in the protection of what was his. And her, she amended to herself. She was a moonbrain and she had, in the past threatened what was his. She wouldn't anymore, but how was he to know that. He didn't ever believe her.

"What _was_ that?" Simon stood in the doorway, syringe and medicine bottle in one hand. He glanced back down the stairs.

"Oh, J-Jayne's ma- she just tried ta make him 'pologize to River for everythin' he's ever said or done!" Kaylee said, her body shaking from repressed laughter that seemed to be seeping out of her seems. River watched, fascinated.

"Essence of his statement met with veracity for the present time," River said as she looked at her brother. She held out her arm, for once wanting to be able to clear her brain and her speech.

"I-I can't believe the man ape would do such a thing," Simon said.

"He did when his ma pinched his ear," Kaylee said watching as Simon carefully injected the medication into River's arm.

"What do you think of it?" Simon looked at Kaylee.

"I think it's sweet, her bein' able ta control him like that."

"Never thought I'd see the day." Simon shook his head disbelievingly. "Meimei, do you want to stay up here for a little while?"

River nodded. "Companionship is to be avoided until my brain pan clears. Thank you," She managed to add, trying to be clear.

"Oh, meimei darling, you're welcome," Simon said, resting a hand on her shoulder. He and Kaylee quietly left the room and River lay back studying the cracked ceiling.

***

Mal didn't know when he had lost control of his ship. All he knew was that somehow, he was sitting in _Jayne Cobb's _ma's house. Of all the fei hua he'd seen on his ship, this had to be the worst. He had gorram told River exactly where to land and she'd gone and taken them halfway around the world.

Of course, River chose here and now to go butai zheng chang de. Meaning they probably wouldn't be leaving this luh suh place.

"Jayne an' I are goin' ta the local 'stablishment iffen ya two wanted to come," The thin man who looked creepifyin' like Jayne was standing in front of him. Mal was fairly sure his name was Matty. "Soon as Ma makes him 'pologize to the girl who can't talk."

"I'm thinkin' I could use a drink or two," Mal admitted, rising to his feet. "You comin' Zoe?"

"Yes sir. I could certainly use a drink, my own self."

***

River wandered into the kitchen a few hours later, having enjoyed an afternoon spent relaxing on the porch of Jayne's home. Autumn Cobb was standing over the stove, tasting the soup off a wooden spoon.

"Is assistance needed?" River asked.

"Oh, thanks darlin.' You can take the rolls out o' the oven," Autumn Cobb said, gesturing towards oven mitts hanging from the wall.

River nodded, fetching two of them and opened the oven door, loosing the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread. She pulled the rolls out of the oven and set them down on the small amount of counterspace still were the parts of salad set out on the counter and River set to preparing it.

"River, how often d'you have an episode?" Autumn asked as River cut up the lettuce.

River studied what she was doing. "I float away too often for my brother's happiness. But inability to clarify comes only when I am in a new situation."

"Ah," Autumn Cobb said. "Any partic'lar reason my oldest is so…outspoken 'gainst ya?" Autumn Cobb was looking at her and River put down her knife.

She took a few steps away. "Before-" River paused, allowed the word to garner meaning. "When I couldn't find my way, I thought his t-shirt was a sign of my past. I had to become mother hen, I had to destroy it. Jayne's redness was an unfortunate concomitance."

"Ya cut on him?"

"I wasn't me," River tried to make her understand.

"It was you, but it wasn't? I'm not certain I'm understandin' here."

"It was before I was capable of understandin' myself an' controlling my actions. I was lost in the maze. I didn't mean to cut him open and now I am apologetic."

"Have you told Jayne that?" Autumn Cobb asked, studying her critically.

"She ain't said nothin' bout it ta me," growled a low voice from the doorway. Jayne entered the kitchen and snitched a roll, shoving it in his mouth. "Course-I'm not 'spectin that."

River considered what to say as she watched Jayne, who was relaxed, standing in his own kitchen. "I'm sorry," she finally said, fighting through her own maze of words.

"I'll consider 'ceptin your 'pology," Jayne growled as he left.

River turned back to the salad. She focused on it, wondering if this was a step in her and Jayne's, well, not relationship. Acquaintanceship?

"I think m'boy likes you," Autumn Cobb said finally. "He never 'cepts apologies even while I encourage him ta make 'em."

River stared at Autumn Cobb, wordless.

"Oh, don't be lookin' at me like that. I'm not sayin' he's gonna jump ya. Don't think he even likes it. But y'must've done somethin' to impress him an' attract him after swiping him like that."

"Reavers." River shook, remembering seeing the colors on Zoe in that battle. So dark brown and bright red and dripping black.

"Whattaya mean?" Autumn Cobb asked. River shook her head.

"I killed them, dripping in blood, but no longer hungry for therir brother's blood" River said

"Ya killed a room full o' reavers?" Autumn Cobb said.

River nodded. She was still dubious of the woman's claim. Jayne hated her. Maybe some part of him did find her attractive. River would have to read him carefully sometime. She couldn't delve into past thoughts or his memories, but she could, if she worked, actually read what people were thinking or saying in another room.

She wouldn't speak of this, not to anyone, not yet. For now, she would enjoy a lovely day in a home she had vaguely wished for as a child.


	6. Secrets Worth Telling

A/N: There may be some inconsistencies in the details of River's reading abilities-I caught one in the previous chapter that would have negated this chapter. (It has been fixed)

A/N 2:It is possible this will be my last update for a *very* long time. I am hiking the appalachian trail and will not be writing in that time period. I'm hoping that the motivation for this story will still be here when I am done!

River was lying on the floor of the lounge area in the galley, drawing a rather intricate image of Persephone's skyline. Mal's burnt orange pulsed from his bunk, regular and slow. He was asleep. Zoe's bright blue mixed with spots of bright red was erratic but she too was in her bunk. The spots of red used to cover the blue, but now, now they were fading and meshing with the blue creating a lovely purple that surrounded the blue. She wouldn't tell Zoe she was starting to heal. That would defeat the purpose.

Kaylee's pink was brighter than usual. She was in her bunk and-River's mouth puckered slightly-so was Simon. He was practically neon blue. River dropped her pencil and clapped her hands to her ears, wishing it could help. "Sisters are not meant to be tortured in this way," River moaned to herself as she scrabbled upwards without the use of her hands, leaning back against the base of the couch. Sure, she had witnessed them in foreplay once, but she had retreated fairly quickly. To her later disgust, her reading didn't stop when Kaylee and Simon started.

"Sisters ain't what?" a low growly voice came from above her. Jayne was standing there, towel draped around his neck, looking down at her.

"Simon and Kaylee are brighter than normal," River informed him. There was a pause as he stared at her blankly.

"An' that means…" he finally said.

"They're copulating," River finally said, blushing.

"Y'mean sexin'?"

"Yes."

"Aw, hell girl, I know how ta distract ya-" Jayne leaned down and picked River up and started towards his bunk.

River buried her face in his neck. He smelled sweaty with a hint of the cologne he always wore. Her tongue darted out, tasting the curve between his neck and his shoulder. Tasted of Jayne, of his essence. The man shivered as he opened his bunk and let River clamber down.

"Don't know how ya do it, girly," Jayne growled as he entered his bunk, closing his hatch.

"How I do what?" River asked, closing the space between them and twining herself about him.

"How ya can start me so quickly. An' that flexin' thing you're doin' now," Jayne said, taking hold of her leg which was currently wrapped around his hips as River held herself up on him.

"I danced as a child," River murmured. "You played hoop ball and taught the bullies how to fly," she angled her head, hoping Jayne would finally kiss her, distract her from the colors across the hall.

"How in the fu xiu ma fen would you know that?" Jayne said, his warm hand that had been holding her thigh suddenly clamping shut before letting her go. He extracted himself and River suddenly found herself standing on her own two feet.

She frowned. "I wanted to know about your childhood so I looked for it in your memories," She finally said, having discerned where she had learned the information.

"Gorram it girl, what have I said 'bout creepifyin things?" Jayne growled at her. "Readin' my memories is creepifyin'!"

River looked at him oddly. "But it helps me know how to-" River smiled slightly as she paused before finishing the sentence, "pleasure you."

Jayne shuddered. "Still, It's mighty creepifyin! I won't have it. You can't go 'round reading other peoples' thoughts an memories willy nilly!"

"But I only do it to help!"

"Done told ya, girly, it's right creepifyin' and I won't have it. Get. out."

"But-"

"Out! B'fore I gorram hurt you!"

River scrambled out.

***

"Something wrong with your sister?"

Simon glanced up from where he was sanitizing his surgical kit. Zoe had somehow gashed her arm pretty deeply in the last job and had needed several stitches. Mal was standing in the door way, arms crossed.

"I haven't-there hasn't been anything I've seen-"

"Well, I think you'd better get on thinkin on it. Somethin' ain't right 'tween her an' my hired hand. They have ta work together an'it didn't go well today. We don't want nothin' worse than what Zoe got. Fact is, we don't want Zoe gettin' hurt on account o' your sister having a meltdown. Fix it."

Simon stared at Mal. "I'll do my best. If I could somehow get access to a brain scanner, it might be bene-"

"No. Do it here. Fix her. We need a pilot and reader who can be accounted for. Don't want her spookin' off my gunhand, thanks very much. Chow's in fifteen."

Simon sight and slumped over his tools. What on earth was he supposed to do? He thought he had found the good medication for his sister. What if she was in that .5% that seemed to take to the medication and lost the benefit after a few days?

But this wasn't a few days later. She'd started taking it nearly 10 months ago. There had been _no _instances where the user had suddenly stopped benefitting past three weeks into the medication.

And Simon wasn't quite sure what Mal had meant. River hadn't seemed too off from normal. A little quieter and withdrawn perhaps, but Simon had just attributed that to being a teenage girl. Of course, he hadn't gone on the mission. River would not have either, if he'd had a choice.

But as he had been shown repeatedly, his sister could handle herself, better than the rest of them. He didn't have to like it. And now? Well, now it seemed as if something had happened. If it wasn't the medications, well what _could _it be?

***

River didn't know which colors she was. She never was able to see herself from an external perspective. She had tried. Failed many times. She lifted herself further, balancing yet more precariously on the rungs of the catwalk. Jayne was up and so she wanted to fly. Stealthy, perhaps like a bat. Because if she flew and he saw her, she would fall to the ground, wings clipped and unable to get up again.

But if her wings were clipped, how could she protect her flock? She had already failed. What would come next? She didn't understand why he had. She was doing what she had to do. If she knew how they would react to particular situations based upon their memories, she could protect all of them. But now, now she was endeavoring to show her big man that she would not read their memories. And Zoe was hurt. She couldn't fly because her wings were clipped. And if she couldn't fly, the others couldn't glide.

Only Jayne could give her back her wings, but he was hiding from her. He was flashing between brown and bright red. She barely caught glimpses of his normal dark red.

"Meimei?"

River looked down from where she was balanced. Simon was standing in the cargo hold, a few feet from the stairs. He was all dark red. Simon was afraid, afraid that she would fall. Even with clipped wings, she couldn't fall from this perch. It was instinctual now and you couldn't stop it.

"Geigei." River stepped gracefully down from her perch and approached her brother.

"River, Mal told me you were having some trouble at the job?"

"Clipped wings. The important one clipped my wings and he won't give them back!" River reached out to her brother, grasping at him and he pulled her into a hug. She clung, hanging onto him, sniffling.

"Sign of weakness," She said after a moment, pulling away. "Tears cannot be trusted, I have to be strong." She swiped hand over her eyes.

"Meimei what has caused this?" Simon asked. She seemed to be having some trouble in speaking clearly, but nothing too much worse than usual. But something was wrong, clearly wrong.

But-wait. She had been unusually cheerful and clearspoken in the last month and a half. He hadn't questioned it, too glad to get even that little piece of his sister back. But now-it appeared that something had taken away this improvement. The question was-why?

"The important one, he doesn't think its right. Thinks its wrong that I know of hoopball and brutish acts to bullies. Thinks I ought not to fly, not to cover my flock with my wings," River turned and dashed back to her room, eyes filling with tears.

Simon stared after her. What on earth was she talking about. The important one? Well, that had to be Mal. He must have said something to her, said something that was impeding what she felt she needed to do.

***

"What did you do to her?" Simon stood in the entry way to the bridge.

"What did _I_ do? I'm the one who told you her brainpan'd come loose in the first place. Why would you think I did something?" Mal had swiveled around from the expanse of sky in front of him to face the younger man.

"Well, it had to have been you. She said the important one. I can't think of anyone else that could mean."

"Well, surely as that's a compliment, I don't aim to be acceptin' it. I didn't say nothing to your sister, Doc an' I would remind you that it's your job to keep her in check. I need her safe and sane. The safety of my crew depends on it."

"I-well, if it isn't you, who _could_ it be?" Simon asked, a frown creasing his brow.

"Well, it ain't my job to puzzle this out, but you might think on the fact as there's only so many people on this ship."

Mal was facing the controls again, effectively cutting Simon off. Simon turned and walked back down to the galley. He found himself mystified. If Mal wasn't the important one, who in the gorram world was?

"Doc, I gotta talk at ya," a growly voice spoke as Simon entered the galley. Simon jumped slightly. Jayne was standing, arms crossed, in the middle of the room.

"Yes?" Simon crossed his arms, leery of the bigger man. The two of them had never gotten along well and Simon wasn't sure why the mercenary would want to speak to him all of a sudden.

"Now, don't go to questionin' but I've been thinkin-"

"You have been thinking? What a surprise," Simon said, but stopped at a look.

"There's something what needs tellin. Your sister, doc, she can look at people's thinkin's. It ain't just here and now. That ain't right!" The bigger man looked furious.

"My sister, you are saying, has the ability to sift through memories?"   "I just said that!"

"Ah. Well, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise to you as we have already discussed this as a crew…" Simon said, confused. They had established River was a reader.

"Naw, it ain't jus' that. She can look at memories what's private an' historicized."

"Do you mean to tell me that she can look at something you did when you were young?"

"That's what I been sayin!"

Simon rubbed his face and then suddenly, something clicked.

"Did you-Did you _say_ something about that to her?"

"Course I did-Didn't want her pokin' 'bout in my private memories!" Jayne said, a defensive and-was that worried?-expression on his face.

"Bu gan xiang xin, You." Simon sat down heavily.

"Me," Jayne asked, eyeing the younger man.

"You must be 'the important one' River talked about. I don't believe this. You are why she's been off recently, why Mal is blaming her for Zoe being hurt." Simon rubbed his face. "What on earth, _how_?" Simon found himself reduced to almost no words.

"I-er-there's-I need to be organizin' the cargo hold," Jayne said, standing and moving as fast as Simon had ever seen him move. He found himself sitting in the galley, wondering what on earth was going on between his sister and the 'public relations man' for twenty minutes until Kaylee bounced in and distracted him.

***

River Tam was hanging from the railing by her knees when Jayne stomped into the cargo hold. She had known he was coming, she could hear him all the way from the galley. Of course, she had made no move to disperse, as it was Jayne who was 'carefully' avoiding her rather than the other way around.

Jayne was looking up at her, mouth twisted. "Ya hafta do somethin' so dangerous?"

"Danger only in the eyes of the man who clipped my wings"

"Clip ya-whattaya mean?"

"Clipped my wings, told me to stop protecting everyone, stop making the important one happy."

Jayne stared at her, befuddled for a moment. "What'd I do?"

"Clipped my wings. Told me to stop using history to protect the present. Can't do my job, couldn't protect the warrior woman," River said as she turned her body and gracefully found her way to her feet.

Jayne stomped his way up the metal stairs, boots clanging. "I ain't never done told you not to do your job. I want you to do your job, I like being alive an' all."

"You took it all away the moment you said no. Power like no other, most important man!" River said, reaching out to him. He flinched and River's expression crumpled.

"Ya stopped lookin' in on my childhood?" Jayne asked for a moment.

River nodded. "But I gave up my wings. Can no longer be mother hen, have to run faster, fight harder to protect you. If I can't look at the memories, I don't know what you will do now! I can't know how to protect in certain situations," River said, trying to be as clear as possible.

The line between Jayne's eyes creased and deepened as he deciphered what she had just said. "Y'mean ta say-your mindreadin' of my-preferences-is same as keepin' us safe?"

River sagged with relief. "Yes, same thing. You asked me to stop and I stopped. But Warrior woman is hurt and most important man is in a firestorm!"

"A fire-what are you on about?"

"Death and mourning. Tears and lost steps, forever a loose brainpan."

"You sayin' that you'll always be a moonbrain who can't protect us if'n I don't let ya read into my memories?" Jayne shifted his stance, took a half step closer to River.

"Yes." It was the simplest thing she could say, most easily understood.

Jayne stared at her. "Do what ya gotta do. I s'pose I can deal. Can you jus' do it during jobs? Turn it off, like?"

River looked up at Jayne, a smile growing on her face. "Yes, yes. Big man is giving the bird her wings back? To fly only when she needs to?"

"Guess that's what I'm sayin'" Jayne scratched the back of his neck. River threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Promises to learn by you in the present time, not from your past desires. Will keep it turned off unless I must be mother hen," River smiled up at Jayne. He had automatically wrapped his arms around her, but at her words, he tightened his grip, lifting her off the ground.

"Ren ci shen. I missed ya somethin' fierce, moonbrain,"

"And I was lost in the ocean without you, important one," River said, tracing the outline of Jayne's face with a finger.

Jayne shuddered slightly, closing his eyes and brushing his lips over River's who responded enthusiastically, wrapping her legs around his waist.

It was a few minutes before they separated. "You'll come tonight?" Jayne growled.

River smiled, lips curving. She kissed his forehead. "I would fly."


	7. The Guiding Light

A/N: OK, so the last chapter obviously wasn't the last one before I left… I had an interesting time writing this. Actually did some restructuring of it after I finished writing, which is mildly shocking...

Every time he opened his eyes, the white barren walls reminded him that he was not in his own private bunk. He was on the Alliance ship Kinderlager, the ship that Operative commanded. Serenity in pieces, Kaylee had been drugged. Simon and he had been shot and Mal... Well Mal had just been a gorram idiot.

Unfortunately for all o' them, it had been worse 'n normal. In fact the only two who'd gotten out o' this without so much as a scratch was Inara and the moonbrain girl. And the girl was a story unto herself.

He stood, refusing to be in this zhengqi de goushi dui of a room any longer. He didn't gorram know where he'd go. But he couldn't be alone with his thoughts no longer. Turning down the hallway, he did his best to seem small and insig-gorram it, whatever that word was. Trouble was bein' that he was taller n' the most people, it was hard not to notice him. He growled as the soldiers glared at him and the civilians scuttled out of his way.

There was something odd about their expressions however, so Jayne was unsurprised the moonbrained girl suddenly spoke from behind him.

"Big man is in search of something." River trailed after Jayne. He glanced back at her, snorted and continued on.

"But does he know what he is searching for?"

"Big man knows when he's bein' followed an' he don't like it," Jayne said.

River giggled. "In order to fly, the bird has to test her wings. She has to make amends to the one who she hurt." She finished on a somber note.

Jayne grunted. "Go test your wings elsewhere, moonbrain."

"Thirty five minutes and forty two seconds until Simon wakes up. I have nothing to entertain me. You are entertainment."

"Fine. Just don't be a pest." Jayne said, stopping and waiting for her to catch up. River was curious as to where they were going. He had purpose on his brain. Needed to work out his grief.

"Jayne-man is a rock. Unreadable but the color is dependable. Red."

"What are ya prattlin' about?"

"At present time, I find it easier to follow you around than be lost in my own thoughts. Your red color is always there. Everyone else is fluctuating."

There was a pause as Jayne sized her up. "You sayin' I'm predictable?"

"Only your color. Red. Comforting to know you'll be red."

"Huh. Well, guess I'm glad to help. You thinkin' on helpin' me find the gym?"

River's smile lit up her entire face and Jayne eyed her warily, having stopped to face her.

"I know where the gym is. Come." River scampered off and Jayne followed, a rather bemused expression on his face. She was confusin' as all hell, but she seemed to be in control of her faculties. Somethin' about her eyes was different from what he'd ever seen before. Before, she hadn't quite been there. This was new. She was there and Jayne could not have explained it for the world. He didn't like her, but he found, after the reavers, that he trusted her.

"And just how do you know where it is?" he yelled after her, nearly jogging to keep up with the half pint sized girl.

"Not all minds are stone," River called back over her shoulder, giggling.

Jayne frowned. "You calling me stupid, girl?" He said.

"No. Stone. There's a difference." Not much of one, River added to herself, but enough for her. Jayne was good at what he did, but she would be the brains of the operation.

She opened a door and there was a gymnasium. A hoop for hoop ball and a bench to lift weights on. A few other weight machines as well. Jayne thumped a hand on her shoulder in thanks and walked a beeline for the bench. River sat in proximity, knowing his shoulder was weaker than he was admitting to anyone. He would be tired earlier than he was happy and someone would have to get him off the chair. Even if it was by unhappy means.

She wasn't quite sure what those means were yet. It was immensely too bad that they were not in the dining area. Far more inspiration existed there. Such as syrup in the hair. She lay against the ground, listening to the blank white soldiers tap past the rather small gymnasium, minding Jayne's heart rate and the spiking of his shoulder.

The ship itself was blank and white. Not like serenity. Serenity was a home. It was loved and it loved in return.

"Ship is dead."

"It'll come back to life. Just gotsta fix it is all."

Jayne was talking about Serenity. "Here. Ship is dead. Or it never started living. No beating heart."

"Ah," Jayne said, still rhythmically doing his sets.

Jayne's shoulder became spiky. He wouldn't last much longer.

River opened her mouth and screamed. It was actually rather bloodcurdling. She was proud of herself.

"WHAT? Gorramit girl!" Jayne was swearing to himself as he hoisted the barbell back onto the hooks. River kept screaming. He stood over her, trying to make her shut up, but River kept going. "You're gonna bring the whole ship in on me here an' I'm going to be blamed! Stop it!" River added shivering to her body language as she continued to scream.

Scowling, Jayne scooped her up and started running for the door, back towards where the crew was stationed. River buried her face in his large shoulder. Big man had good reflexes. And he could touch her without flinching. Progress. She stopped screaming but allowed a few whimpers to come out, trying to maintain the illusion of her upset.

It was only two minutes later that they burst into Kaylee's room. Simon looked up from the chair he was sitting in and moved fairly fluidly to a standing position.

"Wha-What is going on?"

"Yer sister started screamin. No clue as to why. Make sure it don't happen again. Gorram nuisance," Jayne growled, dumping River onto the empty bed and stomping out of the room.

River started giggling when she was sure the big man was far enough away. That had been an amusing response.

"River? Mei mei?" Her brother's voice reminded her that Simon didn't know. She rolled over to look at him.

"Big man's shoulder would have collapsed after three more bench presses. Would have set him back significantly in his progress. Could not allow that to happen, so I screamed to make him stop." River looked up at her brother whose lips quirked, nearly smiling.

"Didn't have any syrup to drizzle on his hair," she added, running a finger on her brother's cheek.

"And I'm sure you are far better off for it at the moment," Simon said, a slow smile curving his lips. "Jayne would not have taken well to that. Do you remember when I stole your books? You drizzled syrup everywhere. My hair, all of my clothes, my _bed_!"

"Distractions were needed. And I remember you took all of the new books for a week. You deserved it" River said, reiterating the fact. "Big man will have to be the pole upon which we all lean. Must be strong for this." River played with her hands.

"What do you mean, meimei?" Simon asked after a pause.

"The rest of us are still recovering from the traumas of the last few days. No one is fit to lead. All will have to lean on the big man to pull us through."

***

Keeping track of the hallways, he somehow managed to find his way down, off the ship. People were teeming about. He stood off to the side, watching as a team seemed to be picking up the broken bits off of Serenity and preparing her to be moved out of the rather awkward location she was in. He'd been standing there for nigh on half an hour when he felt a presence at his back. He glanced and snorted.

"Apologies to the big man. Was terribly frightened by a soldier." That wasn't quite the truth, but River assumed Jayne would feel... emasculated if she said the truth. He also wouldn't believe her. He snorted and went back to staring out to the distance.

"That was some fightin' ya did back there," Jayne said lowly, not looking at her. Silence always unsettled him somethin' fierce.

"Knowing and learning are two different things. Can't be given credit for something I didn't learn."

"Ya mind 'splainin' that?"

There was a pause so Jayne glanced down at the small girl. She was looking up at him, a slight frown on her face. "The alliance gave me the skills to defeat the reavers. I did not learn how to do that."

"Ah. Ya don't know your own self how to fight?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to take it from yer trainin' an' make it yours?"

River looked up at him. "Learn what I was taught?"

"Yeah. Practice fightin' with me. Help you learn your own moves."

"Learning would be nice. Beginning now?"

"Iffen ya want." Jayne turned to her. They were in a fair open space. Most people were a fair distance off. "How d'ya get your skills to work?" He asked.

"Minds are still and calm an' I remember what it felt like at the bar."

"Let's start with that then. You start an' I'll keep up." Jayne faced her and kept himself relaxed. He knew she was talented. Hell, he'd been impressed when he'd seen her and even more so when those blast doors had opened to her an' a bunch o' dead reavers. Almost made him wish he'd been able to see her fighting them. Musta been somethin'.

'Course that'd mean-Wo de ma she was fast. River's hand came fast out of nowhere, headed straight for his neck, trying to knock the breath out o' his air-tube. It was only a not-so-graceful dodge to his right that he managed to avoid it. He growled and made to punch her in the nose, pulling some of the weight from his movement. But it wasn't necessary. She danced out of his reach and he found himself stumbling slightly.

He dove for her and again, she managed to dance out of his reach, landing a foot on his back and sending him tumbling to the ground. He rolled and got up again, ignoring the throbbing in his back. Moonbrain had a hell of a kick. And whatever trainin' she'd had, it was good. His fightin' was good but he weren't like this girl.

He eyed her carefully. She move closer to him and as soon as her left fist shot out, he knocked it to the side, grabbing her by the elbow and twisting her arm, enough to make it slightly painful. She stomped on his instep and Jayne found his grip loosened just enough so that River was able to take her arm back. She elbowed him and tried to kick him in his gut. He caught her right leg and dragged her to him, snagging her left arm and dropping her on the ground. He was on top of her, sitting on her waist and pinning her arms above her.

She stared up at him and Jayne grinned. "S'what comes with size an' experience, moonbrain."

"I will make that concession. Lessons to continue would be appreciated."

"I'll fight ya any day-"

"Here now, what is going on here?" an authoritative voice spoke from above them. Some hun dan of an official alliance officer was standing there.

"Teachin'" Jayne said, letting go of River's wrists.

"You're teaching a girl rape?"

"Wha-What the yu ben du are ya on 'bout?" Jayne scrambled up, towering over the shorter man.

"Seems clear as day you are trying to take advantage of a little girl."

Jayne snorted. "Little girl? D'you know who she is?"

"She looks like a little girl who is far too young to be interested in a man like you."

"Liu koushui de biazi he houzi de ben erzi" River was standing now, looking at the man before her.

"This here's the girl who took down a room full o' Reavers. I'm just fightin' with her. Hundan" Jayne growled and stomped back towards the ship. Mebbe he'd go back and dump the girl with Simon and Kaylee. She was too much trouble anyhow.

"Big man has not the will to harm a small girl. Considers it wrong." River was trailing after him.

"I don't take what ain't mine."

"Man in gray was wrong about you. Shouldn't let him affect your red soul, turn it black."

"What?"

"Anger is best left to those who ought to suffer."

"Ya sayin' I shouldn't be angry at that hundan, that his anger will be his punishment?"

"Yes," River said.

"I'll think 'bout it." Jayne growled, stomping through the hallways, not botherin' to try and make himself

"Inconspicuous. You are never inconspicuous, but your size will keep others from questioning."

"What in the-Gorramit girl, stay out o' my head!"

"Unintentional. Hard to keep a bird from flying tree to tree."

Jayne clamped his mouth shut. He didn't follow the advice often, but his ma'd always said if you don't got nothin' good ta say, don't say a thing. The moonbrain was gonna be a boon ta Serenity with her talent an' he best get over it.

He hadn't been paying attention to where he'd gone, but as he pushed open the door, he found Zoë and Mal sitting-well Zoë was sitting. Mal was laid out in the bed.

"Gorram hun dan," Jayne swore, mostly to himself as he noticed River trailing in after him.

"River's hardly a hun dan, Jayne. She saved our lives," Zoë tried to correct him.

"Weren't talkin' 'bout the girl. Talkin' 'bout the hun dan what thought I was tryin' ta rape the girl." Jayne's lip curled as he threw himself into the only other chair in the room. It was barely large enough for his considerable bulk of muscle.

"Jayne, you got a worse side to ya than I thought?"

"What? NO," Jayne blinked. "Gorramit, River thought it would be good ta know how ta fight. We were practicin!"

"Jayne, we've all seen River can fight."

"Having knowledge and learning are two very different concepts. Want to have the knowledge by myself, have learned it. No dependencies on false knowledge," River broke in at this point.

Jayne sneered. He was fairly confident that somewhere in that mess o' words River was backin' him up. But it didn't help the fact that he hated her crazy talk.

"Jayne was helping you?" Zoë asked. Mal, surprisingly, had continued to sleep through this outburst.

"Yes."

Jayne snorted slightly to himself. Most coherent response she had ever made. River glanced at him, eyebrow quirked.

"Ah."

River saw all of the colors coming off of Zoë. Turbulent, painful, all of it. Jayne didn't seem to see that Zoë needed to be alone with her thoughts and her captain. It had only been a couple of days since-River bit down on her lip, hard enough to draw blood.

"Ya ok, girl?" Jayne never called her by her name.

"What if the bird never finds her nest? Or is knocked out of it? Does it need space to find it again?" River asked, eyes wide.

"Huh?"

River rolled her eyes. She marched over and attempted to drag Jayne out of the room.

"Hey, don't appreciate yer fussin," Jayne said.

"Space and time make blood and fuss fade. You are kicking up a storm that does not need to be kicked up." River took a breath, trying to think of the best way to say something. "Zoë is fraught with bereavement. Fading best on her own."  Jayne pushed past her, necessitating her letting go of his huge wrist. She glanced over at Zoë who was staring at Mal, having dismissed both of them from her mind as soon as River had started fussing about leaving. Zoë didn't care that the two of them were spending time together. She didn't care about anything at the moment.

She turned back and slipped out the door, quiet as a mouse. Or, at least, she tried to.

"River," Zoë's quiet voice called her back, back into the room.

"Yes?" River said as she stood in the doorway.

"What are you doing, following Jayne around?"

"He is flashing from deep red to yellow like you. He has to be the red we can cling to. I remind him to be red. Have to make sure he does his job." River looked over at Zoë.

The older woman was stone-faced. On all accounts, she appeared fine. But River knew it wasn't true. Her colors were off and you could see it in the way Zoë's mouth was tightened, fending off monsters of grief. She knew Zoë didn't understand what she had just said, so she tried something else.

"Asked him to help me. Need to conquer my fears. He is the best one for that. Won't hold back nearly as much as you or the Captain." River smiled. Loosing that secret from her brain had helped. And she knew Simon had gotten his hands on something that would help even more. Her thoughts would be clearer with it, but her words would still be amiss often.

"That wasn't the question, River girl."  "He is in need of company in time of grief. You need space and silence. He needs voices and people. Reminds him of life and that he is alive. He will be the guiding light of our seven pointed star."

Zoë nodded. "I understand."

River turned without a word and slipped back out the door. It only took a moment's work to discern where the big ape-man had gone and another moment to catch up to him.


	8. Truth Telling's a Scream

River froze for a moment, her eyes flying wide open. Her fingers tightened on Jayne's shoulders, where she had been balancing them.

"What's the matter, moonbrain?" he asked, breaking their kiss. He stroked her back as they sat in the cargo bay.

"Approximately twenty five point two seconds until my brother steps foot into the cargo hold. We ought to appear to be doing something inane."

"Ah," Jayne said, already shoving himself away from her and stepping to the opposite side of the walkway in the middle of the hold. This time, their transport was legal. It was also rather crowded. Cortex screens that were being distributed to the rim planets. He set about moving the crates, making sure all of them were accounted for.

"Meimei?" Simon's voice echoed from the entry closest to the medbay. Jayne grinned to himself. River's timing was never off. She had claimed it had been once or twice, but Jayne figured she was only ever off by points of a second.

"Here, Geigei," River's clear voice came from the catwalk above him. How in the world she'd gotten up there, he didn't want to know.

"River, what are you doing, balancing on one rail? That's dangerous!" Jayne looked up catching a flash of thigh in her skirt and grinned lecherously to himself. River glared down at him for a moment before turning back to her brother.

"Balancing helps me straighten my mind."  "Do you need your medications? You must be bothering Jayne by now. Come down, please."

"She ain't botherin' me," Jayne said gruffly. "Quiet as a mouse. S'long as she don't say nothin' creepifying, I don't mind none."

"I have plenty of horror driven stories I can tell to Jayne. But I promise, I won't."

"Alright, meimei. But Mal came by and said to remind you that you have cooking duty tonight,"

"My memory is more powerful than the Captain's. I don't see why he feels the need to remind me of something I've already planned and timed out five days ago."

"I'm not sure. I'll be sure to remind him of your superior memory. River…" Simon was looking up at his sister, an expression of joy on his face.

"I know. It's good to be back. I missed you." There was a pause interrupted only by the scraping of one crate as Jayne shifted the cargo around. He didn't much like being around River and the Doc at the same time. Gave him an uncomfortableness he didn't want to examine.

"Jayne, can you make sure she doesn't kill herself?"

"Simon!"

"Yeah, sure, Doc. Don't want our psychic crazy girl to fall and die." Jayne looked up from his 'work' and nodded. Being agreeable to Simon had been part of River's plan in getting Jayne out of this alive. Jayne figured River was way smarter than him and he'd do well to follow her plan. They seemed to work, anyhow, better than Mal's for sure. As she'd told him once, she was the brains of the operation, now that she was all…less crazy.

Simon left the area almost as suddenly as he'd entered. Jayne stepped back and looked up. River was turned towards him and she jumped.

"Oof" he muttered as she landed lightly in his waiting arms before gently righting herself.

"Jayne man played his part extremely well. Shall be rewarded in five hours and twenty two minutes in his bunk. Dinner is in two hours and three minutes. My meal will take one hour and fifty six minutes to prepare. I have five minutes before I have to leave." River looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" Jayne growled, bending to kiss her impertinent nose. He moved to her lips and River twined her arms around him.

"Have to stop."

"No. Don't have to. We can keep on goin'" Jayne snickered slightly and ran his hands over her slim hips.

"Timing is everything. Have to have dinner on table in order to have reward later."

"So long as the re-ward's good, I'll wait." Jayne stepped back from River who smiled cheerily up at him before scampering off to the galley.

***

River calculated the length of time it would be before anyone would wake as she lay on Jayne's chest, heart beat slowing. It would be another minute before either of them could move, so she used the time to compute how much time she had left in Jayne's bunk, before possible discovery.

Zoe would be in her bunk for approximately another nine hours. Mal another seven and Kaylee hadn't gone to bed yet. Ten, at least. So it would have to be Mal she would watch for. Six hours to spend with her mind being protected by Jayne. She snuggled into him, burying her face in the soft spot between his neck and shoulder.

"How long we got?" Jayne asked. She never put her head there until she had calculated it.

"Six hours. Mal will be up in seven and we must have a margin of error."

"K. We sleep now?" Jayne mumbled. He always was a sleeper. River smiled and snuggled into him.

"Yes big man. Time for closing of eyes and slipping into dreamworld."

"Mmph" Jayne managed to kiss her forehead before his breathing regulated. River closed her eyes and allowed Jayne-man's dreams to lull her into sleeping.

***

River woke to shouting. Jayne's arm and leg were draped over her, heavy and unmoving. She would not be going anywhere soon. There was shouting on the bridge. Shouting for her and Jayne. And Zoe and all of the crew. She pushed at Jayne.

"Mphgmm" Jayne rolled on his back. River sat up, freed of the pressure of his arm. She raised her rather tiny fist and thumped right down on his sternum. "OW, gorram it girl."

"You have to wake up. Can't sleep through. Have to wake up and defend the ship," River looked down at Jayne.

"Huh?" Jayne always managed to make her repeat herself more cogently.

"Warning flare hit the ship. We're coming up on a grave-picker. Have to be ready for the fight."

Jayne was already up, dressing quickly and River followed, tugging on her dress. He was first up his ladder and River quickly followed.

"River?! I thought you were in your bunk!"

"Simon." River said, turning around. Jayne had frozen in his spot but hadn't turned around.

"What-what are you doing in Jayne's bunk?"

"RIVER, get your slow pi gu up here. We're needin a fast getaway!" Mal's voice sounded unhappily from the bridge. She sent her brother an apologetic look, darted forward and caught Jayne's hand, dragging him onto the bridge. And indeed, they would be playing tag with another ship. Or, perhaps, hide and seek if they could find somewhere.

"We should play hide and seek!" River said as she slid into the pilot's seat. "Tag first, but hide and seek will be more successful."

"What's-"

"Means find a gorram moon or something to park Serenity on without bein' found, Mal," Jayne's voice was harsh, staccato syllables in the gray of the early morning. Mal glared at Jayne before heading to the co pilot seat and flicking through the cortex.

"Beaumonde's moon, Tantis, is the closest we got. Think we can outrun 'em there, Albatross?"

"87% chance of success," River said, moving the ship quickly in that direction. "What is behind us?"

"Old friend o' mine. Seems he thinks we ought to be chopped liver." Mal grumbled from the co-pilot's seat. Jayne stood in the back, watching River's moves. Simon was standing between him and River and he knew there was no mistake in where he'd chosen to stand. The man's spine was stiffer than normal and he kept throwing glares at Jayne.

He decided it was perhaps best to go and see if little Kaylee needed any help in running the engine room. He brought up the image of Kaylee in the engine room and thought on it, trying to get his reader girl to understand why he was disappearing.

"Kaylee would appreciate the appearance," River said out of the blue. Simon looked about ready to go back and Jayne didn't want to deal with that.

"She was talkin' to me, Doc. Sorry. Stay with your sister." Jayne left the room and jogged back to the engine room.

***

"We are Rabbits in a hole," River's voice sounded on the intercom, alerting the three people who weren't in the bridge to the fact that they had landed. A fact that had been fairly obvious to both Kaylee and Jayne as they stood in the engine room.

"Jayne, you comin?" Kaylee was standing in the door, a step out. Probably heading to find Simon. Jayne stood from his hunched position in the one corner of the engine room Kaylee hadn't been using.

"Time ta face the airlock," Jayne growled to himself, following Kaylee down the hall. River had promised no airlocking..but he couldn't help but think that it was the only ending possible.

As he followed Kaylee into the galley, he winced at the cold expressions from Mal and Simon. Zoe was stonefaced as usual but it weren't 'bout him, he figured. "No airlock!" River was standing in front of him, eyes wide and her lip was trembling. "I promised you, no airlock. Don't think it!"

"Aw hell, babygirl," Jayne growled, drawing River close. To hell with Simon and Mal, River needed comfort. She wrapped her arms around his middle and he rubbed a hand on her shoulders, refusing to look at the two men across the room from him.

He weren't about to take no liberties here. But he weren't about to back down either. Naw, he had to see to River first and foremost.

And she was yanked away by her brother. Jayne let her go, preferring his girl in one piece. "River get away from him!"

"Stop it!" River wrenched out of her brother's grasp. "Think you know what's best but you don't. Don't know what's right in front of your eyes." Mal was standing near Simon and River, his _I'm the captain and you'll follow my orders or else _look on his face. Jayne snorted. River had him wrapped around her little finger. She'd get no harm from him. It was Jayne what had to worry about the airlock.

"Little albatross-" Mal started, his brows forming one line. Jayne inched away, itching to put space 'tween himself and the captain. He'd normally stand up to a fight an' all that he felt was coming but here, he'd be riskin' too much. There was a teeny chance he'd get out of this, hide intact, which was, according to River, vital to her plan. Whatever that was. It made her happy which had the added effect of making him happy, so he went along with it.

"It'll be alright. The cap'n'll see reason." A quiet voice reassured him.

"Not so sure on that, Kaylee girl. River swears there'll be no airlockin' but I aim to keep as much space as possible 'tween me and the captain."

"For what it's worth, I think it's sweet, you an' River."

"Thanks." Jayne remained standing, warily eying the captain who was eying him back, as River and Simon quietly argued. This weren't quite the reaction he was expecting.

"Jayne, care to explain why you ain't in my face, justifying your actions?" Mal's cool quiet voice reached his ears.

"Don't much feel like arguin' Captain. River insists on me being alive and I'm thinking not arguin' with ya and staying over here are my best shots at that."

"I-well" Mal's arms swung around, as if they didn't know where to put themselves. "Lil' albatross here's made me promise not to kill you. So talk." There was that cold note in his voice, the one Jayne knew came from Serenity Valley.

It was the same as Zoe's voice when that topic came up.

And it sure as hell was creepifying when they _weren't_talkin' on that place. "Moonbrain-"

"How can you still call her that what with-" Simon had broken in, hearing him say that.

Jayne frowned and stared him down. "_Moonbrain_ is what she is and moonbrain is what I'll call her. Don't mean I'm takin' advantage. Like her just fine even so." He glared at the two of them. River's slender hand was covering up her mouth, but her eyes were dancing at him as she drew her brother back into conversation.

He sighed. "_Moonbrain_ here, up and decided that I was her soul mate or something, two months ago."

Glaring around the room, he saw Kaylee smile encouragingly at him while Zoe seemed not to care at all.

"An' I thought she was crazy, but she wouldn't be turned down. Turns out I kinda like her. Hell, Mal, I'm crazy for her. Do anything to protect her, keep her with me." Jayne shrugged, unwilling to say _those_ words just yet even if he felt them.

"Well, I'm not saying the airlock isn't out of the question-yet-but I'll let ya by for that."

"Well-Good." Jayne managed, through a rather closed off windpipe. And that's when the ruckus started.

He didn't know what started it, but River started screaming as loud as she could. No words, just noise. "AH! MOONBRAIN!" Jayne shouted, clapping his large meaty hands over his ears, which dimmed the noise only slightly. She kept going and her brother looked rather bewildered. Jayne moved quickly and clamped one hand over her mouth, muting her and the other around her waist, lifting her. He glared at Simon before turning around and stomping down towards the passenger quarters where River's room was.

As soon as she was out of the galley, she stopped making noise but didn't make any effort to make it easier for him to carry her. He rolled his eyes. It was her style to do that. He continued to hold her until they reached the lounge area next to the medbay and dropped her on one of the couches.

"You chose a sweet bung of a time to go ape-shit on us, Moonbrain," he said, after a moment of tense silence between the two of them.

"Brother wasn't listening and was wasting my time. Had to waste his time."

Jayne snorted. She always did choose creative ways of making a point.

"Captain won't throw you out of the airlock. You convinced him of true feelings." Jayne glanced at her, frowning. "I also reminded him of my ability to take care of myself."

Laughter broke out in the passenger lounge and Jayne pulled River close, enjoying the sensation of her body pressed into his. "I'd a missed you something fierce if they'd managed to split us."

"Wouldn't happen. Sneak in to your heart and your bunk if they tried."

"Still." Jayne growled, trying to prove a point. River just kissed him and he smiled before turning the tables.


	9. First, Now, & Forever

River slipped into the cargo hold where the big man could be heard, grunting as he pushed up at weights that were almost crushing. Today, she mused, the correct alignment of factors would betide her big man. They would be liberated of the societal groundings, of the pressures keeping them apart.

As she let her head hang off the crate, her hair swaying beneath her, she let the bright red of Jayne encompass her, warming her. His ma's words with her a month ago had illuminated her own ambivalence towards the big man. Attraction was a multi-faceted shining beast. Accustomed as she was to omniscience in her own mind, she had discovered a faulty part of her brain, one that secreted away certitudes.

She was attracted to this big rude man, her partner in fighting. His inexcusable abruptness, his misunderstanding of people all were facets of it. His skill in tracking, his ability to fight ruthlessly, his steady shoulders to lean on, his love for his family, all were bits and pieces adding to the whole.

She would have this man for herself. His wholeness would pull her together, would keep the needles from pulling her brain to bits. She allowed her eyes to settle on his biceps watching as they strained, pushing up, glistening with sweat in the cool hold.

As the metal bar clanged onto the hooks that held it up, Jayne's growl reached her ears. "Moonbrain, whatch'ya watchin' on for?"

"Date and time are significant, eyes watching, hearts melding, the start of something for now and ever," River replied, relying on her way speaking to befuddle him. He wasn't to realize what she meant quite yet. Timing was everything. She wouldn't be his first, but he would be hers. This was something she had come to accept. She would be his now and always and he would be her first, now and always.

She straightened as Simon's blue presence neared hold. "River?" his clear voice echoed through the hold. Jayne snorted, wrapped the towel around his neck and quickly made himself scarce.

"Simon."

"River, what are you doing up there?"

"Plots and minions are best tasted on high."

"River, come down, you'll break your neck!"

"Fascimiles of disquiet slip past the watchful ears." River swung herself upwards to pacify the beast of worry in Simon's heart.

"River, that's dangerous, of course I'm worried!"

River blinked, she hadn't thought Simon would catch on to that meaning.

"Not dangerous. Dancing balances the core. I know exactly what degrees will cause me to fall. You don't need to worry, gei-gei."

There was a moment of silence and River slid to the floor. She slid her small hand into Simon's. Sometimes, it was just nice to be 'there' with her brother. "The world is a cacophony, but being here with you dulls the ears."

"Stealing can be sanctioned by the people."

"Yeah an' them's crazy people," Jayne grumped, at last responding to the meandering statements of the moonbrain. She seemed to have decided that his work was what was it? 'Of Primary Interest.' What it was was a pain in his gorram ass. She was cute an' all, but in moments like this, he was reminded of why he had wanted her off the gorram ship in the first place.

"Thoughts aren't congruent with truth. You're lying to yourself."

"I ain't lyin-an' you think you know what I'm telling myself?"

"Little birds always know when the hawk comes after them." And they were back to nonsense. Jayne rolled his eyes and stood straight, having finished prepping the crates for their delivery. He made to brush past the tiny woman but she side stepped without even appearing to have sidestepped. It was-it was gorram annoying was it was.

"It is time." River said, looking up at him, with her unblinking stare.

"Yeah, time for ya to move out o' my way. Ya been downright strange today."

"Time to learn?" River looked up at him with a hopeful expression.

Jayne glared down at her. Mal figgered he was the best to train the girl up to understanding her skills. An' hell, he even enjoyed it, but-

"Girl promises to be good"

"Al-right, fine." He didn't have anything better to do an' he didn't have no gorram excuse. Dropping the tools he'd been carrying on the crate, he turned to strike out at the girl. Not so hard like, as he knew he'd miss. He weren't plannin' on it. It just happened.

This time, she'd somersaulted backwards and was now standing ten feet away from him in the center of the hold. His eyes swept her body, taking in the light dance shoes she was wearing-Simon had finally convinced her to start wearing something in between the huge combat boot and bare feet-her lean pale legs disappearing under the dark green dress she was wearing. Somehow, despite it's apparent looseness, he found himself imagining her curves, where her hips curved into her waist. He blinked. Eyes snapped back up to meet River's face.

She was looking at him, hooded eyes, an expression he couldn't read but one _he_ interpreted quite readily as an invitation.

Growling, he lunged for her, wanting to erase the image of her in his brain. He plowed into her, felt her lithe body pressed up against his before she deftly-well whatever she did, he was on the ground, air knocked out of him. He leapt up-scrambled, but he'd never admit it-ready to continue. The gorram girl had disappeared.

And then he found himself on the ground, the moonbrain lying on top of him, pinning him. He could feel _every_ gorram curve on her little body. Eyes widening, he rolled over, pinning her.

He was gonna get up. That had been the plan. Get away from that-that witch's song. And yet, River's warm brown-_crazy_-eyes were staring at him. And she stretched under him, teasing him.

Her lips were parted and she was looking at him as if nothing else in the 'verse existed.

"Gonna be airlocked," was all he managed to get out, trying to prevent the inevitable.

"Won't. I'm the brains of the operation." He exhaled in one big whoosh and found himself brushing his lips against hers, something he hadn't done in since he was a little boy. He nibbled at her bottom lip and she responded, lifting her hips up slightly and clutching at his arms.

That reminded him of where they were and he shot away, standing across the cargo hold in the blink of an eye.

"Gorramit, moonbrain!" he shouted and stomped out of the hold.

River giggled softly to herself. All was going according to plan. The first one had been sweet and she'd wanted to curl up into the warmth of it, let Jayne and his lips protect her forever. Even though she didn't need protecting. His reaction had been calculated in. He would be brought around. She climbed down the ladder to his bunk in her stockinged feet, only the whisper of the cotton catching on cold metal. It was the sleep-cycle on Serenity and everyone was enjoying the quiet that came with it.

She looked down at Jayne, who was lying, stomach down on his bed, mouth open in a quiet snore. Not exactly the most attractive picture, but he was hers and she would accept all of him.

She perched on the edge of his bunk, between his elbow and his knee in the only spot big enough for a very small woman to fit. She drew her finger along his face, feeling the scratch of his scruffy cheek. He coughed slightly and slowly, so slowly, rose to consciousness. His eyes flickered open, unfocused. They sharpened when they saw her and he sat up.

Spikes of green and brown filtered through his comforting dark red.

River smiled. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his, taking advantage of the fog in his brain. This time wasn't sweet and warm. It was heated and fast and jolting. River clutched the torrent, taking the heat from his chest in her hands. She could feel his hands on her back, clutching her shirt.

And just as she was sure he would accept fate, he leaned back.

"Moony-what-" he appeared to no longer be capable of speech. This was good.

"Cerebral process is not required at the moment. Two bodies are all. But perhaps assurance is necessary?" River tilted her head, studying him from her rather precarious position, sitting on his thighs. In his silence, she decided to continue. "I find we are two pieces of a puzzle. We fit together, no matter what others might say about our clashing colors."

Jayne's eyebrows clashed together. The sight was rather amusing.

"You are big man."

"Well o'course I'm a big-"

River cut him off. "My big man. You share your warmth and I share my brain."

"I ain't stupid."

"No, but I'm a mind-readin' genius who get what she wants."

"And what d'you want?" Jayne asked.

"You."

"Me?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?" River said with a smile. Her big man was finally starting to get the point.

"Why in the gao yang jong duh goo yang would you want me? I'm a dirty old merc."

"But you're _my_ dirty old merc." River leaned in and brushed her lips across his cheek, lifting her other hand to cup his neck. The man closed his eyes. Progress. She would win.

"I ain't gonna do this. Mal'd airlock me. Fact is if he learned why you're here, he'd airlock me."

"There will be no airlocking. I won't allow it. I shall protect my big man from the little airlock."

"I don't believe you."

"If the captain tries, I shall shoot him." The cool tone in her voice convinced him of her belief at least.

"Aw hell, moony," was all he managed to get out. He had given in. She smiled, teeth showing. She had won and she would have her big man.


End file.
